


A Courageous Heart

by WhenTheSkyDances



Category: Halo
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama & Romance, Emotionally-Challenged Sangheili, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Interspecies Awkwardness, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Sex, Language Barrier, Other, Racism, Slow Burn, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-18
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-04-05 01:56:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 34,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4161258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhenTheSkyDances/pseuds/WhenTheSkyDances
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dearest readers, </p><p>This chapter kicked my a**. </p><p>It started out alright, then it took a left, changed again, made a u-turn (an illegal one, by the way), and then kicked itself into overdrive. But, thankfully, I reached my stop! Please enjoy the results of my ride on the struggle-bus!!! Let me know what you think!</p><p>Sincerely, WhenTheSkyDances</p><p>p.s. you guys are the best readers anyone could ask for!!!<br/>________</p><p>Eryn O'Malley is a young, adventurous field medic for the UNSC. Traveling with a deployment of lethal ODSTs through a foreign planet is a dream come true! But when she stumbles upon the wreckage of a Covenant ship and the lives within, her dream becomes a harsh reality.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dancing Shadows

The deep, wild forest was still and silent. Speckles of fresh, warm raindrops glittered and sparkled like shining stars upon the dark green vegetation of the jungle-like wood. It was eerily quiet in the damp wood; it was as if the forest itself was dead, devoid of any signs of life. No little birds called and sang to one another from on high in the thick canopy, no small creatures rustled through the thick undergrowth, scurrying from one place to the next. Even the wind was calm and soft, almost not blowing at all. It whistled gently as it wound its way through the dense trunks, a distant echo among the deafening silence.

The only movement within the dark, glittering wood was that of the dancing shadows; the shadows that lurked throughout the forest like a plague, casting their spindly forms to and fro as light flickered down from above. They were always there, always moving with the light that fed them. They were always present until the sun began to sink into the darkness, as it did now, its far-reaching rays fading away to give room the encroaching darkness. With no sunlight to dance with, the shadows fused into a solid, unmoving mass of impenetrable darkness. With the bright light that fed them now gone, the shadows went into retreat, to become a resting blackness through the night until the sun rose once again to fuel their wild dance.

The forest gradually grew dimmer and darker as the last few beams of warm golden light faded into nothingness. The raindrops shone like fire for a one brief moment, shining like jewels, and then to melted into the solid shadow covering the damp and dreary jungle-wood. The individual shadows, the leaf shadow and the stone shadow, shrank away and began to disappear into their greater form. Nothing could be seen, no shapes outlined but a glow of light or a line of darkness. The wood, at least during the night when the three moons’ light was not strong enough to peek through the canopy, had fallen into an even, flat blackness. It would be like this for the night, until the darkness gave way to the light, feeding the little shadows so that they may play and dance once more.

The even darkness was constant… for a while. One area of the mass grew darker and darker. There was another, much mightier shadow atop the canopy itself! It did not dissipate into nothingness, into sameness, as the others had, but instead grew into its own deepness. Its size grew remarkably fast as it engulfed a large portion of the forest’s canopy in its shade, leaving the undergrowth in a kind of dark unlike any it had seen before. It drowned out any of the remaining dim, ambient lighting. It was a powerful shadow, fueled by its own light.

The shadow upon the canopy ceased its growth and remained the same size for a small time before it had seemed to shrink, finally giving way to the natural will of the jungle-wood’s darkness. A distant sounded could be heard now, coming from beyond the trees. A thin wail, like that of a scream heard from far away, descended on the wood. Instead of fading out, the wail persisted and only grew louder and closer. Within mere seconds, a boom filled the air, rattling the wood below. The wail became a whistle and scream, loud and painful as it ripped through the silence. A cascading mass of smoke and fire was rocketing from the sky, its broken shape tearing the air around it, revealing itself as the cause of the sharp, whistling screech that pierced the air. It dived steeply, but by some manner of fortune, managed to pull away from the rapidly approaching earth and level out, only to collide with the canopy. Its snarling, burning form scraped leaves and limbs from the tops of trees before vanishing, sinking into the depths of the forest itself, consumed by the murk and mire. A deep, hollow crash erupted from below; it was a sure sign of the inevitable collision. Silence followed, only to be interrupted once more by the pained groaning of the wreckage that lurked below.

A thin trail of thick gray smoke seeped upwards through the branches and leaked into the clear night sky. It continued to rise into the air like a long black snake that curled through the night sky, hunting the silvery-white clouds that drifted lazily by. Down beneath the shaved canopy, the fire from the fallen form was dying. It had been weakened by the spray of dirt and water and plant matter from the impact. The fire, weak and struggling, crackled and spit embers at all that it could reach. The simmering flame hissed as its red tongues touched water and moist plants as it searched for something to ignite. All around was damp and useless, and the fire died with a sad sputter and gasp as its own fuel was expended. Nearby a long, thick tree, nearly toppled over, leaned onto the broken mass with all its weight; it caused the shape to groan and creak in pain and protest. Small lights dotted the shape and flickered on and off. The shadows peeked around, amused by the futile light show.

Muffled by darkness and groaning metal, a dull thumping sound echoed from within the mass. The sound rippled though the heavy air, hollow and empty. It paused after three thumps, but resumed again after a few seconds. Again, three thumps. A pause. Two thumps, then a sharp snap and crunch came from the mass. A purple piece of metal, riddled with scorch marks, flew through the air and landed with a noisy crash in a nearby bush that cracked under the pressure. The metal now gone, a gaping wound, a hole, was made in the side of the shape. From it something alive, but just barely so, stepped out into the newly-made crater. Large and bipedal the creature was, and it leaned heavily upon one of it sides. Its leg, thick and strong, was oozing a hot purple liquid from a long, seething gash. The creature took a few limping, feeble steps, only to collapse onto the tattered ground before it, drained by its gruesome injuries.

The forest, now certain that all interruptions had ceased, went back to its eerie calm and quiet once more. The darkness was as even and flat as usual and as natural as it could be. The mass, a sleek purple ship, the injured creature, and all of its mystery had become just another secret hidden within the jungle-wood’s tangles of undergrowth and its many dancing shadows.


	2. Unrelenting Hope

A tall, fair-skinned human ran through the forest as if she was being chased by some horrendous threat. Thick undergrowth whipped across her legs as she rushed forward, lashing the skin beneath her pants into what might become thin bruises. She grimaced at the thought of the sickly color her skin would take, but she kept running regardless. Inhaling deeply with each stride, the human's clear blue eyes searched the night sky for any sign of what she had seen rocket through its vast darkness earlier. It had blotted out the stars with smoke and flame and thundered through the sky on its course to collision. She’d heard the crash, she’d seen the giant tail of smoke, but she’d yet to find the fallen craft.

The human woman’s throat burned from the wet mixture of the foreign air and she halted in her run. Leaning against a nearby tree, she wiped sweat from her brow and readjusted her hair; the neat bun of warm black hair had come loose. The woman looked once more toward the sky for any sign that she was headed in the right direction, but she couldn’t see a thing in the murky darkness. She knew well enough that night only lasted for six Earth hours here and it so the sun would be rising soon. Perhaps she should wait for more light? _No, if I stop now, I’ll never find that ship._ She knew that the forest was deep and incredibly dense and that the ship was probably already lost to her. She also knew that it couldn’t hurt to keep looking, at least until the sun had risen.

Using light, tactical-grade night-vision goggles had aided her this far, she figured she might as well continue. Her vision was entirely of various shades of greens as she wandered at slower pace into the wood. The undergrowth and packed trees and a thick canopy made for low visibility here, where the forest was getting to its deepest, thickest region. Often she had to stop and pause, checking her assortment of navigational devices to make sure she’d be able to track her position and return back to base camp. After another hour of fruitless wandering, the human stopped for a short break. She drank from a canteen, which made the water taste like metal, and sat amongst the roots of a large, knobby tree. Removing her goggles, she took a long, deep breath and nearly choked on the air. Coughing, she looked around to see little motes of ash hanging in the air. The woman jumped up and smiled, her excitement getting the better of her.

 _Ash! There has to be smoke in the air somewhere around here_.

She stretched, her light gray UNSC uniform catching on the brittle branches of a thistle-like bush near her legs, and she took off. The young field medic resumed running again and this time she did not need to stop to see if she was heading the right way. The trail of ash was thickening, leaves and broken branches were scattered on the forest floor, and more light was filtering through the trimmed canopy as the sun’s beams began to reach over the horizon. The woman put away her goggles in a secure pack and followed the trails of destruction to its source. Her giddiness was overcoming her sensibilities and she rushed headlong into the dense jungle-wood.

_I’m so close!_

The woman saw a deep gully open beneath her feet and she froze, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She slowed to a walk as she neared its edge and her eyes flickered over the scene in search of a way across. Noticing a thick broken tree that was cracked and split down the middle had formed a convenient bridge over the gully’s maw, the human carefully approached it, mindful of her steps so as not to take a tumble. The human easily mounted the log due to her refined agility, her arms outstretched for extra balance as she stepped across. The shift in weight caused the tree to creak and give a sickening groan as she passed over the middle. Freezing where she crouched, the woman adjusted her body weight as she creeped forward.

Moving slowly as she reached the end, she felt a slickness under her feet. Casting her eyes downwards, she saw that the bark of the tree was soaked in a drying blue-purple liquid and it was quite viscous. In an attempt to avoid slipping she crawled over it, careful not to touch it, and her eyes slipped over the edge of the tree. Down below, half-hidden by heather and weeds, was the mutilated body of some alien creature. It was short and stocky and had a dark gray scaly body that was covered by shattered, pale orange armor. A broken mask was on its small round head; it had tubes that led to a large, triangular mass mounted on its back. She assumed it was an air tank of some sort. Hurriedly, she crossed the final length of the tree and leapt off the log to the other side of the gully. Looking for a safe way down, the woman slid down to an outcropping of rock near the body and leaned precariously over its edge. She observed the same blue-purple liquid, which she now realized was its blood, coating the side of its head. Its unseeing eyes were glazed over and foggy. The medic sighed deeply; it was definitely dead, definitely alien, and most likely had been a potential threat. If anything, she’d say this was the body of a dead Covenant soldier, but she had no way of truly knowing. Either way, she’d have to report this.

She sighed as she climbed back up the ledge and walked beyond the gully, heading once more into the forest. The woman was sad for the loss of life, of any sentient life really, but she knew not to let it bother her anymore beyond that.

_At least I’m going the right way._

***

Time passed rather quickly on this planet and in what would be one day on Earth was the near equivalent of two days here. The night itself only lasted for a duration of six to seven hours. The sun had now fully risen above the horizon line and was steadily climbing into its second passing. The field medic knew that by Earth time, it was late and she should probably be sleeping, but her body had shifted to the schedule of this planet. She was tired, but only because she been up the last eighteen hours with no sleep.

 _I'm already out here, I might as well keep looking._ She'd convinced herself.

Tossing her loose hair back from her face and retightening her bun once more, she groaned and scratched behind the med-pack on her back; it was making her back all hot and itchy. The pack was not heavy, but it had been strapped rather close to her back and kept any heat close to her body. Her strides weren’t as long and her body had begun to tire. The woman pressed on anyways, determined to find the ship.

As she began to think back to the body she had found, she figured the ship it had most likely fell from must have been a Covenant drop ship. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It was definitely Covenant. It might have been a Spirit, but she wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference anyways. She didn't specialize in studying the aliens themselves, nor their crafts and weaponry, but on healing the injuries they caused when engaged in combat. Again her thoughts drifted back to the little body and its brutal demise. It had probably fallen from the ship and collided with the broken tree, killing it.

The woman’s mind began to become less and less focused as she wandered in thought, her awareness of the surroundings slipping away. Not watching where she placed her feet, she slipped into a trench; her fall braced only by torn up vegetation and shattered tree limbs. Her back was smashed into the damp earth and it knocked the breath out of her as she yelped, struggling to breath. Her body rolled haphazardly down the wall of the trench, the human now fully aware of the fact that she falling into a giant ravine she might not be able to climb out of. She would’ve been screaming, but her lungs still refused to work.

A loud, heavy thud accompanied her crash to the bottom as she landed on her chest. She lay still for several long moments, willing a breath into her body. She was choking on nothing and her head began to pound. She groaned with relief as air filled her lungs, painfully, and she lay panting as she rolled onto her back. Carefully she moved each limb to check for breakage, but luckily she landed with only a few bruises and a headache. The medic rose slowly to her knees, then her feet with a wobble, and began shaking off loose dirt and leaves from her clothes. Gazing upwards at the edge of the ravine, she sighed. _That’s too steep a climb out of here._ She placed her hands on her hips and grunted. She turned around to look for a lower, less steep ledge to climb, but was paralyzed at the sight before her.

All around her were bodies, lying broken and lifeless, that marked the landing area of the downed ship. She moved terribly slowly, shaken to the very core by what she was seeing. The ship itself had its propulsion system ripped away and was lying in the brush a few yards away. It was slammed into the wall of an overhang, its hull compressed and ruptured and covered in loose dirt and rocks. Multiple scratches and dents peppered its sides and any sort of rudders or wings were gone too. Debris littered its immediate area. The young medic saw several small bodies, resembling the one she had found earlier, except that the colors of armor had changed from pale orange to dirty silver. There were a few other bodies that were taller, skinnier, and had feather-like protrusions coming out of their heads, and then a single, massive body that stood out from the rest.

She systematically checked each of them to see if they may have survived. Working with those closest to her first, she covered ground quickly. As she did so, she positively identified the smallest of the species to be Grunts, which she was surprised she had failed to remember when she’d seen the first waist-high body. The ODSTs she currently worked with had described them to her; they had called them “ _the walking fodder of the Covenant_.” All of them had died around the same time as the impact. Some had been killed by the fall, others from blood loss, the rest from suffocation. She then checked the feather-headed ones, which she realized were either Skirmishers or Jackals. The ODSTs didn’t tell her much of their physical appearance, but she could tell them apart from the other species. There were only two of them, at least that she could find, and they were both dead. One’s neck had been broken from the fall, the other had multiple small, bloody lacerations covering its exposed skin. When the medic leaned closer, she could smell the rot that had already set in. The stench crawled lazily through the air, hanging over the hollow like a cloud.

The young woman stood up quickly, covering her mouth and nose with one hand. She backed away from the bodies. She was not a hardened medic. Yes, she had seen death. But not like this. Never like this. She'd never been on the battlefield, only the sidelines, patching up the troops as they came in with fresh injuries and stories to tell. She knew death well, but she didn't like it. She’d never like it, never like seeing it. Only now it was different. It felt different. They weren't human. They weren't even allies. When the war was still raging, she knew she would feel regret, not sadness. But now, it was different. They were people too. They were fighting to defend their way of life and their beliefs just like the humans were. She was sad, but it was different kind of sad.

***

One last body was left unchecked. The field medic gathered her nerves and kneeled by its larger form. She immediately knew it was an Elite. The ODSTs hated this species more than any other. They complained constantly after fighting with them. When she looked at it, it was just as intimidating as the way the ODSTs had described them. It had digitigrade legs that were thick and muscular, which lent to the fact that ODSTs said they could jump large distances. A long, but thin gash, was covered in dried blood on the outside of the lower right leg. Its dark green armor was almost unblemished despite various nicks and scratches that marred the paint. It wore a glass, dome-shaped helmet that covered its face completely. She thought hard, trying to remember the specific type of Elite.

It was a Ranger.

She knew they were stronger than the average Elites. She placed her hand lightly on its chest; she was feeling for the steady rise and fall of breathing, but she wondered if she’d be able to feel it under all of that armor. Silent seconds passed before she noticed that the Ranger’s chest was moving, albeit the breaths were few and far between. Immediately the medic smiled; here was someone she could help, someone she could save! She knew it had probably lost a lot of blood from the wound on its leg, so she quickly opened the Med-pack or the "emergency supplies kit" and removed rolls of gauze and clips, along with a soft towel to wipe away the dried blood. She couldn’t risk using any anti-infection medicines; she didn’t know how the chemicals in the drug would affect a non-human body.

Very gently, and with an expert hand, she removed the dried blood from the exposed skin and the silicon-like material that covered the rest of its leg like another skin. Moving carefully, she slowly wrapped the white cloth around the now clean wound, making sure it was tight, but not so tight that it would restrict the much blood flow. Even with this wound she didn't need to make a tourniquet. She applied the clips in two spots to make sure the gauze would stay on. She closed her pack and put it back on her back. The medic realized she couldn’t do much, not with her limited knowledge of the Elite species and their foreign biology.

She sat quietly next to it, observing its impressive form. It had to be over six feet tall at least. It was just so absolutely massive! Gazing at its hands, she noted the four fingers. Two were quite long, the other two resembled thumbs, one on each side of the hand. She grunted in conclusion of its alien form and flinched when its armored fingers twitched. The medic checked to deduce if the movement was really just a twitch or if was actually recovering. She slid closer to its head and began to peer into the dome-shaped helmet. She couldn't see its face. The medic heard its arm move across the dirt this time. It curled up it fingers in a feeble attempt to communicate. It flicked its fingers and tried to groan out a word, buts its lungs hissed in anything but compliance. The medic followed the finger’s trajectory and realized it was pointing at the ship. She wondered why it would do that. _Perhaps there must still be someone inside_ , she thought.

“Are there more of you in there still?” The medic asked slowly.

She was unaware if it spoke English. It simply continued to point at the ship, no more sounds coming from inside the helmet. Quickly the medic stood up and hurried to the ship. She dodged large pieces of debris and ducked under broken branches. The ship's main door had been kicked away, which had most likely been the Ranger’s doing, looking at the massive dent. She looked inside the small ship, glancing both ways. It was dark since most of the ship’s internal illumination was no longer functional since the crash. The medic stepped inside; her footfalls were slow and quiet. Panels had fallen loose, wires and cables slipped from their casings and hung like vines from the ceiling. The wiring sparked beside her, causing her to jump and bump into a nearby wall. Calming herself, she continued on her way, scolding herself for being so jumpy.

Glass-like material cracked under her boots and caused a momentary pause of the woman's search. Cables and panels littered the floor and passageways had been completely blocked off. The lights flickered and the ship groaned and hummed. It was not long before she tripped and fell to the floor; the loose cabling had finally gotten the better of her. Hands bracing the fall, shards of glass lodged themselves in her palms. She let out a sharp yelp, hissing as she sat up against a nearby wall and began to gently pluck the splinters from her hands. She cringed at the pain, the bright crimson blood trickling down her skin. Only three shards protruded from her right hand and a deep slash on the other. Maneuvering her shoulders, her pack slipped off her back. She pulled out a bottle of spray disinfectant and coated her skin. It burned momentarily, but subsided as she wiped away the blood and excess spray with a soft cloth. She hastily bandaged her hands and replaced her med-pack She looked up and found herself in a room that contained the bodies of four more Elites. They were all harnessed into their seats and completely still. They were limp and unmoving, and the medic sighed.

_So there was more of them in the ship!_

Hauling herself to her feet, the medic rushed to check the nearest one for signs of life. This one was an orange and pale red Ultra; she recognized the helmet shape. It had no visible wounds so it must have been knocked unconscious on impact, as its breathing had steady intervals between each breath. Glad that the she wouldn't have to place her damaged hands on its metallic armor, the massive rise and fall of its chest was reassuring. She knew it would be too heavy for her to drag out of the ship so she let it remain where it was while she examined the others. The next one was dark blue with lighter blue markings. It had a scratch down the side of its armored chest, but it wasn’t bleeding anywhere. She could feel its breath even with a light touch of her hand. The medic sighed with relief at finding another living Elite. She observed the helmet and decided it must be a Zealot. She wasn't entirely positive, but it was fun to try and guess it.

She moved to check the next one and heard a faint click and then metal roll across the floor. She tensed, fear rising in her mind. The medic turned her head slowly and saw nothing, she slowly turned to approach the next body. Suddenly, she found herself being held around the neck and being lifted off the ground as if she weighed absolutely nothing. She couldn’t see her attacker, but she figured it must have been one of the Elites, because their armor, she knew, had active camouflage that made then nearly invisible. She tried to free herself, but it was in vain. She tore her bandages in the attempt to free herself and she felt blood flow freely onto her sleeves and her skin. The blood made her attacker's armor slippery and she struggled even harder to maintain her grip.

Screaming was impossible and quite fruitless because, really, who would hear her? Her lungs ached for air and her heart was racing. She kicked her legs out and felt her left connect with the attacker. A soft, hissing growl echoed through the room and the grip on her neck tightened. _It’s so strong!_ She kicked once more, lashing out with all she had. She impacted the heavy body several times more. The camouflage began to flicker and she could see flashes of soft orange.

_The Ultra!_


	3. Unexpected Rescue

The air wasn't reaching her lungs and she was getting lightheaded. The Ultra's grip didn't loosen at all, not even slightly, after her repeated attempts to get free. Her struggling seemed to have no lasting effect; she was nothing to this Elite. She was nothing but a weightless intruder that was probably going to be thrown into a wall like a beaten rag doll and then shot. Fear pulsed through her body, a powerful feeling, and it made her heart flutter and quake. Her struggles grew ever weaker and she whined, her blood smeared on the armor that held her.

The medic noticed quickly how the Elite's active camouflage had begun failing and she became aware of how she could almost see the masked face of her attacker. After a few more seconds of malfunctioning, the flickering and flashing stopped and the camouflage went out completely. The Ultra's bright, warm orange armor, marked here and there with scars and scorches and coated in drying blood, shone through the ship's near-pitch darkness. The human was being held at least a full three feet above the ground, her body dangling limply. She was afraid to look forward at first, afraid of what she might see, but eventually she found herself staring into the luminescent blue eye-coverings of the helmet. They were beaming with cold light and held no emotion.

She could hear the Ultra’s rasping breath, as if the physical activity was wearing it out. So, perhaps her attacks had had an affect after all! Its arm twitched slightly and the medic fell from its once powerful grasp and landed with a thud on the metal floor. The Ultra stumbled backwards due to the change in weight, lost its balance, and collapsed to the floor with a harsh growl escaping from its struggling lungs. It pushed itself back up to sit nearly upright, but it couldn’t manage to stand as its chest heaved. The field medic righted herself as well and crouched a fair distance away. Regaining her breath, the woman held her neck, aware of the bruising was most definitely going to have. Her body stilled and her mind cleared as precious oxygen had begun to return to her blood. After a few quite moments, she, against her better judgement, slowly crept towards the panting Ultra, ready to flee should it try to harm her again.

“Are you… are you alright?” She asked slowly, her voice barely above audible. The Elite moved its head rather sluggishly to look at the human who had addressed it. It had a proud air about it when it moved.

“Why do you care, human?” It replied with a hiss, its words short and quick. The Ultra couldn’t catch its breath. It pulled it legs closer to itself and sighed deeply, stretching its sore lungs.

The medic crept closer and knelt by it, a few feet out of its reach. She knew well enough that if it really wanted to hurt her, sitting a few feet away wasn’t going to help her. She was also pleasantly surprised to learn that it spoke English, even if it did carry a heavy accent. The woman pulled a small towel out from her pack and cleaned her hands, quickly bandaging them again to prevent further damage. The blood reminded her of the blood she’d gotten on the Ultra’s armor; when she looked up, she could see the dried substance still clinging to it.

“I don’t like to see anyone hurt, whether they be a friend or a foe.” She said with a gentle tone, and in all honesty, was the absolute truth. If she’d had the knowledge to heal the Elites, she would’ve done so in a heartbeat. The Ultra grunted at her response in a way that could've been interpreted as disbelief or perhaps it was a scoff, but she paid it no mind. Sighing, she slid closer to the possibly-hostile being and proffered the towel. It hesitated, but took the towel from her. It wiped the woman’s dried blood off of its armor, yet seemed to never take its eyes off of her.

“My name is Eryn.” The medic didn’t expect it to tell her its name, but she at least wanted it to call her by her own name. Eryn moved a little closer as it tossed the towel back in her direction. She caught it and balled it up, shoving it into a plastic bag and then back into her pack. The medic observed the Elite once more, and could tell that its breathing had calmed; she could no longer hear it rasping. The young woman sat cross-legged before him and sat silently; she didn’t know what she was waiting for. Several more minutes passed like this.

“Mavi.” The Ultra’s voice was deep and assertive and broke the silence like a river bursting through a dam. Eryn lifted her face to the Ultra as it spoke. A shiver rippled down her back at the power in the Elite’s voice.

“What?” The medic didn’t know if it was speaking its own language, or if it was telling her its name due to the fact that she had just told him hers, which would be the obvious thing, but Eryn liked to be sure.

“My name is Mavi.” Its voice was still deep, but it sounded less loud; Eryn assumed it must still be weak or most likely tired from the shock of the accident and then the attack.

“Are you alright… Mavi? Is there anything I can do?” Eryn asked politely, but she was sure she’d butchered the pronunciation of his name. Mavi loosed a low chuckle that sounded like water over rocks.

“I will be fine, human. But…” The Ultra sighed and his head turned to the other Elites still harnessed in their seats.

Eryn stood slowly and turned back to the other Elites and then glanced at Mavi. She was looking for any sign of obvious hostility, but there was none. Instead, the Ultra was watching her expectantly. The medic stepped past the dark blue Zealot that she knew was alive and moved on to the next Elite. This one was a solid, dark silver with pale blue markings. She placed a hand on its chest and waited a few seconds. It didn’t move. It had probably broken a bone, since its neck was hanging at an odd angle, or what she assumed was an odd angle.

Mavi groaned quietly behind her, shifting some glass when he moved.

“Deva is dead. The crash killed him.” Mavi’s voice carried a small hint of sadness as he spoke; his words were subdued and soft.

“And the others?” Eryn queried. Mavi shook his head, unaware of the state of the others.

“Ebon is present, along with Zahn and Deva, but one of them, Kygar, is missing.” He said slowly. The Ultra tried to stand, but his legs gave way beneath him and he landed with a shudder. He uttered a curse in his own native language, the aggression in his tone more than noticeable.

“You should rest, Mavi, and let your strength come back to you. You’re no good to your friends if you die too.” Eryn said to him, her voice full of concern as she stepped closer to him.

“The missing one, was the armor green?” She asked quickly, remembering the Ranger outside. Mavi looked up sharply.

“You have seen him? Is Kygar alive?” His voice grew intense, elation filling his voice to know that his ally was not missing and could quite possibly be alive.

“Kygar is alive, yes, but he was injured.” Eryn smiled in happiness to be able to tell him yes, to tell him his comrade was alive. “I did what I could, but…” A sigh of relief echoed from the Ultra as he relaxed, despite Eryn’s admission of her inability to fully assist Kygar.

“You helped him… Eryn?” Mavi asked her in a quiet voice. There was something in his tone that led the young woman to think the Elite knew more than he let on, or that he understood something that most others didn’t.

“I cleaned and covered his wound, but it was all that I could do for him.” She admitted. Eryn didn’t like the thought that she couldn’t have assisted the Ranger more. There was also the stigma among Elites that medical help meant you were weak, that you bled without honor, and many refused to see doctors.

Eryn, tossing the fear from her mind, walked over to the final body and placed a hand on its chest, as she had done with the others. This one had jet-black armor with golden highlights playing across the armor’s slick surface. Its helmet revealed its face, but she knew it was not a Zealot. She looked closer and decided it was a possibly a Field Marshall, which meant this Elite was quite high on the food-chain. She could hear it breathing and backed away from it, content, when she observed that it bore no visible wounds.

Eryn looked over at Mavi, who had his head down. He had finally succumbed to his exhaustion and was resting, so Eryn walked past him quietly and exited the damaged ship. Her face squinted up as the light blinded her. The sun was now high in the sky and the medic could feel its warmth on her face as it rays reached through the damaged canopy. Eryn looked around for the Elite Ranger she now knew was called Kygar. He wasn’t where she had last seen him, but she found that he had managed to hobble over into the cool shadow of a nearby tree. She walked over to him slowly, unsure if he would be hostile, as Mavi had been. Eryn stopped nervously a few feet away from him. The Ranger turned his head to see her and waited. There was a heavy feeling in the air.

“Alive?” He asked in a slow, ragged voice; Eryn figured he did not speak much English from how forced and broken it sounded.

“Some.” She hoped he understood. She couldn’t say what she wanted to for the fear that he might mistranslate and assumed the worst.

“Who alive?” He asked her, leaning forward. Kygar obviously cared for the other Elites, just as Mavi had demonstrated.

“Mavi, Zahn, and Ebon.” Eryn said each name carefully, trying to pronounce them just as Mavi had when he had said them to her. The words were soft and foreign and danced over her lips. She found that she liked their language, no matter how alien it might be.

“Deva dead?” Kygar seemed to choke on the words. Disbelief melted into the Ranger’s voice, as if this Elite, this Deva, had been a powerful force to be reckoned with. As if a simple crash couldn’t, shouldn’t, have killed him.

Eryn simply nodded, a sympathetic feeling blossoming in her chest and lodging itself in her throat like a stone. She quickly swallowed it, keeping it away and out of the open. Kygar rose to his feet and walked over to her, his limp barely showing in his mighty strides. She was surprised to see him move so quickly and with such strength after his ordeal. He stood toe to toe with Eryn and was a full two feet above her height. Eryn looked up and could feel the sheer intimidation that melted off of him. She felt so small before him.

“You help me?” He asked, nodding his head in the direction of the ship. Eryn nodded, she would help Kygar rescue the others, even if she was only two-thirds their size and not nearly as strong.

“Good. Ship is death trap.” Kygar walked quickly to the ship, brushing past the smaller woman and nearly knocking her over in his fervor. Eryn steadied herself and followed close behind, almost struggling to keep up with the Ranger's massive strides. Despite his renewed vigor, twice Kygar stumbled; his powerful stoicism was fading, but he hurriedly recovered and continued to hobble along, eager to assist his allies and friends. When he reached the ship, Kygar stepped in and headed straight to the room that contained the other Elites; it took him no time at all to begin retrieving his brothers-in-arms. Eryn trailed him, her footsteps light and dainty compared to Kygar’s heavy ones. The pine-green Ranger stopped next to Mavi and nudged his shoulder with his hand. He muttered something in his own language and Mavi replied quietly, stirred from his respite. Kygar waved his hand at Eryn and motioned for her to come closer.

“Help carry out.” Kygar put one of Mavi’s arms around his shoulder and lifted the Ultra to his feet. Mavi groaned but steadied himself as his balance left him. Eryn slid in beside Mavi and put his other arm over her shoulders. It was awkward to try and help carry him because of his height, but she was able to keep him upright if he began to weaken. When they reached the ship’s exit, Mavi was struggling to stay on his feet and his breathing had become ragged. Physical exertion and shock had severely drained the Ultra.

“Come on, Mavi. You’re making _me_ look strong.” Eryn chuckled with a small grin, trying to encourage the Elite to continue. She heard Kygar snort, but she didn’t know if it was a good one or a bad one.

“Am I?” Mavi asked with slight amusement in his voice, despite the rasp. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?” The Ultra inhaled deeply and pushed on as Kygar offered more of his strength to his friend. Eryn smiled, wrapping her arm around Mavi’s waist to keep him steady.

Kygar and Eryn helped Mavi hobble across the upturned ravine floor and let him slide to the ground in the comfortable shade of a nearby tree. Mavi sighed and chuckled when he rested against the tree. Clean air, unlike that which was inside the dead ship, filled his lungs. He motioned to Kygar and then to Eryn as spoke in his native tongue, to which the Ranger responded with a low grunt and a few tangled words. He knelt by Mavi and they shared a quick conversation in their own language. It a growling, harsh noise filled with clicks and rumbles, yet interjected with smooth sounds. The woman was intrigued by it. To them, her language must sound too airy, thin, and weak. The orange Elite turned to face Eryn and murmured.

“Thank you, Eryn. Kygar may not say so, but he is thankful also.” Mavi spoke with the utmost respect and the medic thought he sounded a lot like a father.

“I’m glad I was able to help you,” Eryn kneeled by Mavi to be eye-level with him. “Thank you, Mavi, for letting me help you.” Her voice was full of sincerity.

“You are different from others of your kind.” Mavi said to her. If she could see his face, she was he would’ve been smiling with a gleam in his eyes. Eryn momentarily paused; the comment had caught her off guard.

 _I could say the same about you_ , Eryn thought. Kygar stood back and said something in a gruff tone to Mavi.

“Ah, yes. You’re right, Ky.” Mavi turned to Eryn. “It would seem you’re not done helping us just yet. Kygar needs your help to retrieve Zahn and Ebon.” Kygar looked up at Eryn and then back at Mavi.

“We get others.” Kygar’s voice was a deep growl like Mavi’s, but it had a darker tone to it. Where Mavi sounded like a proud father with a voice like a river over rocks, Kygar’s sounded like the low, rumbling tones of thunder off in the distance.

Eryn followed after the Ranger as he headed back to the ship to retrieve the two other Elites. They made their way quickly and they carried out the night-blue Zealot. Its unconscious body was heavier to move than Mavi’s and Kygar ended up supporting nearly all of its weight. Eryn was unsure if it was Zahn or Ebon, since she had only heard the names and not heard them addressed to someone. Carefully they sat the Zealot down next to Mavi. By then, Mavi had recovered some strength and was sitting upright, his breathing steady, but he was still using the enormous tree for support. He rose to his full height as they turned away to get the last Elite; he had to have been at least seven feet tall. Mavi stood by Kygar, halting him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Rest brother, you must stay off your leg. Besides, Zahn will need someone to question when he wakes.” Kygar shook his head in resistance and groaned, but begrudgingly obeyed when Mavi muttered something in their language and motioned to the unresponsive Elite. The Ranger sat next to the Zealot with a growl, whose hand had begun to twitch as his consciousness returned. Eryn quickly removed her pack and sat it next to the tree. It would waste her energy to carry it for longer than she had to. Mavi walked up to Eryn in only a few steps.

“We must get Ebon. He is the last.” Mavi took a few steps but faltered; Eryn quickly braced his fall by putting herself under him; his arm fell behind her back and her hands caught his side to steady him.

“Are you sure you’re up for this, Mavi? Shouldn’t you rest a bit more?” Eryn asked, the worry evident in her blue eyes. She couldn’t see his eyes through his HUD coverings and that was still strange for her. She couldn’t see the ODST’s faces unless they took off their helmets as well. She knew quite well she would not be convincing Mavi to remove his anytime soon. Mavi regained his balance and stood up, his arm slipping from around Eryn.

“I can rest when I am dead.” The statement was said with every bit of honesty she thought him capable off. Eryn groaned as Mavi began walking towards the ship.

“That’s what I’m worried about.” She hurried after him. She could hear Mavi chuckling ahead of her. When they reached the ship, the Ultra lowered his head and murmured to her.

“As I have said before, Eryn, you are _different_.” Mavi said it kindly, his voice losing its harsh rasp and becoming smooth as his strength returned despite his continued desire to strain himself. Eryn smiled a little and then her soft blue eyes drifted back to the dark entrance of the ship.

“I hope it’s a good different.” Eryn sighed as she entered, surprised at the friendliness of the once life-threatening Elite. Mavi followed close behind.

“It is good.” Mavi countered as the woman disappeared down the appropriate hallway. The dead ship no longer made any noises; it no longer groaned and creaked like it was in pain. The was heavy and stale and heat was building within the hull. The power in the ship had been completely depleted and all internal lighting had gone out. The wires that dangled from the torn and exposed areas no longer sparked like electric snakes waiting to strike.

Eryn entered the last room, the room with the Elites, and she hurried to where the body of the black and gold Field Marshall still rested. Walking carefully in the darkness, she reached the space before Mavi, glass cracking underfoot. When she reached the dark room, she was glad to find her small flashlight was still clipped to her belt. Flicking it, she waved it over the room and was shocked to find that the Marshall wasn’t there.

 _What in the wide world? Where did he go?_ The young medic was beyond confused. Eryn knew he had been here earlier, and no one saw him walk out of the ship either. So where was he? He couldn’t have just vanished!

Eryn checked behind her and around her, the flashlight casting large shadows about the room, and still couldn’t locate him, if he was even still there. She wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her. _He has to be here…_

Eryn turned, about to call out to Mavi to tell him that Ebon was gone, but suddenly she was knocked to the ground with a force so powerful it seemed as if time itself had stopped as she fell to the ground. The impact pushed the air out of her and once again she was left without functioning lungs. Eryn knew almost immediately that she was being attacked again, in almost the exact same manner as before when her discarded flashlight rolled to a halt, casting the shadow of a hostile Elite.

_Not this again!_

Her mouth was open in a silent scream as pained raced through her spine and her lungs burned from the airlessness; she curled onto her side and gasped for air, her lungs and ribs protesting with each strained movement. Tears formed in her eyes and she whimpered as she felt another impact across her back. Eryn slid across the floor and collided heavily with the nearest wall, glass and other debris dragged along with her. She was again curled in pain, her chest ached and her lungs felt like they were on fire. She choked, her breath barely slipping back in as she felt something nudge her onto her back. A pressure like a mountain formed on her chest and she could’ve sworn she’d heard her ribs crack. It didn’t matter if her lungs worked now if all of her ribs were about to be shattered. The young human’s head was spinning and her lungs were fighting for breath as she suffocated under the invisible weight.

Suddenly the room became illuminated by a glowing sword that shone of a myriad of blues, one Eryn instantly recognized, even though at the moment she was nothing more than a writhing ball of pain and fear, as the reputed energy sword. It was a somewhat common weapon among the higher-ranking Elites and had a record mortality rate. The ODSTs even feared them and hesitated to fight those that wielded them unless they had good cover, a long-distance automatic weapon, and plenty of advance notice. With that thought, any hope Eryn had of surviving this encounter immediately dropped into the negatives. She began saying her prayers as she felt fear run its course. Absolute terror gripped her body tightly as she struggled to think clearly. A threatening growl escaped the cloaked Elite’s throat as it raised its gleaming blade to strike.

 


	4. Dangerous Friend

Cornered against a wall, fear running like blood through her veins, Eryn would've, should’ve screamed. Her body was frozen in place, shaking among the scattered rubble, broken glass, and dangling wires. Her lips were slighted parted, a small whine of fear slipping from her beaten lungs. Eryn’s blue eyes were wide and the color was only intensified by the harsh light of the Marshall’s shining weapon. The blade hung over her head, ready to drop like an energized guillotine. Fright consumed the young woman entirely and her eyes rolled back into her head as her consciousness quieted.

Mavi reached the room just in time, hurrying at the sounds of conflict, and charged in as quickly as his tired body would carry him. He was first to shout a curse at the camouflaged Elite in his native language and stop the hungry blade from falling upon the fainted woman. The black and gold Elite hissed in reply and deactivated his cover, sword still bared like a monster's gruesome fang. Mavi again shouted and moved closer, displaying his dominance over the Marshall despite the large gap in rank. The Ultra curled his fingers and pointed at the human wrapped within the wreckage and nearly killed by fright. His powerful voice boomed off the walls as he glared at the Marshall.

Ebon stood like a statue, yet one that was menacing and even slightly confused. He was blatantly alarmed by the Ultra, Mavi, had told him. He cast a disbelieving and somewhat hateful glance at the human and then back at orange Elite. His jaws parted to speak, but he silenced himself for the fear of another reprimand.

Mavi had pushed past Ebon and crouched near the unconscious woman. He gently placed the back of his hand upon Eryn's chest to feel for her heartbeat, as he knew that a terrible fright could kill. When the Ultra found it, he sighed, stood, and turned to face the glaring Marshall. The dark Elite muttered something like an apology to Mavi, not for what he had done, but for what he had said, and then stepped away from the unconscious human collapsed before him. Ebon’s sword had retreated, but the Marshall was still glowering with hostility and confusion. Mavi’s actions made no sense to him. The Field Marshall brushed past Mavi and continued on his way to exit the damaged ship.

The Ultra watched him go with a sigh of empty disappointment, his orange armor dimly shining with the light that leaked in from tiny cracks and holes in the ship’s shattered hull. He turned back to the human, to Eryn, and contemplated leaving her within the ship. She would wake eventually and then find her way back to wherever she had come from. This was what he knew he _should_ do. And he could do this so very easily, but yet he could not find the strength within himself to do so. This human woman, obviously of a different mind from that of other humans, had helped them. Mavi sighed and decided that so too they should do for her. It was only right that they should return her blind kindness.

Mavi lowered himself and gently lifted the human body up to his, one arm under her shoulders, the other behind her knees. Her limp form was suspended in his arms. Her head came to rest on his shoulder and the Elite marveled at her near weightlessness and how breakable her form could be. The Ultra grunted and he exited carefully, making sure not to damage her frail body.

***

Eryn blinked slowly, her eyes stinging under the bright light of the noonday sun. Her head was pounding and she laid a hand over her eyes. Groaning slightly, the medic tried to rationalize the crazy dream she just had. Lowering her hand, she noticed a shadow cross her face. Glancing over to her right, she nearly started when she saw the Zealot’s dark brown face leaning over hers. His eyes sparkled a deep red-amber and he huffed when she blinked at him with surprise.

"Are you awake now, human? Or are you going to sleep some more?" His voice was light and clear, like a winter breeze through the naked branches of trees. It was crisp and sharp and Eryn could understand all of his words with crystal clarity, as if this Elite had been a natural English speaker since birth. Eryn laughed and smiled. The questions were definitely a surprise, but a welcome one.

"I'm awake now. I am _very_ awake." She replied softly with a giggle, sitting up slowly. Eryn was outside now, propped in the shade of the same tree that Kygar and Mavi had rested against earlier. She wondered how she got out here. The Zealot seemed to sense her confusion and spoke almost as soon as the woman was going to speak.

"Mavi carried you out of the ship after Ebon gave you a scare. But you are safe now; Ebon knows you are a friend." He sounded confident and crossed his arms across his chest in satisfaction. He was sitting beside her, his legs stretched out in front of him. Eryn could see that his dark blue armor was rippled with paler shades of purple and that it was nearly flawless.

"Don't mind Ebon either. He's just a little..." The Zealot stopped to think of the appropriate word, his hand in the air as if he were to pluck the word from it.

"Moody. Ebon is _moody_." The Zealot looked over at the Marshall and huffed again, almost disapprovingly.

Eryn rubbed her eyes and looked to her left; Kygar was asleep against the tree, his green armor bright like an emerald in the sunlight. She caught sight of Mavi and Ebon sitting in the shade a few paces from Kygar’s tree, talking in hushed voices. Eryn noticed that all the other bodies that had once littered the ravine floor had been removed and that the clearing was now, well, clear. The air was fresher now, too, since the rot had been relocated.

"What is your name, human?" The Zealot leaned closer to her, his voice light and inquisitive like a young child. The medic decided that she liked this Elite, especially since he hadn’t tried to kill her yet.

"Eryn. What is yours?" She smiled at him. This was the most human Elite she'd ever met, even though she'd only really met four.

"I am Zahn Radam. And I think you know everyone else?" Zahn tilted his head and made a low rumbling noise. Eryn noted how expressive he could be, even without talking. The human nodded quickly and pointed to each, naming them in turn.

"Good, good! You even say their names correctly." Zahn dipped his head and gazed at the female human before him, a twinkle of pride in his eyes.

"What are you? Soldier? Spy? Assassin, perhaps?" He suddenly leaned even closer to Eryn, his face very close to her own. She could feel his warm breath over her skin.

"I'm just a medic, really. I fix injuries and help the wounded." Eryn said this carefully, for she was fully aware of the disdain for healers and doctors among the Elite species. Their whole honor system kept the injured from seeking help and encouraged recklessness in battle if severely injured. Zahn said nothing to her at first, but then he snorted and turned away. At first, Eryn believed to have completely spurned his interest, but he came back quickly, the shine in his brighter than before.

"Could you help Kygar, then? Could you fix Ky’s leg?" There was a pleading eagerness in his voice. Eryn was taken aback.

“I can clean and stitch the wound up, but I don't have any painkillers or medicine.” Eryn fumbled over her words. Zahn laughed and nearly fell over in his jubilation.

“Ky is very strong. He needs no painkillers; I can assure you of this.” He placed a hand on Eryn’s shoulder and stood up, pulling the woman with him.

The comment on Kygar’s strength made Eryn smile. The Elites were very different from the way the ODSTs described them and talked about them. She understood that they could be volatile, as she had been attacked twice, but she saw they were just like her own people. They each had varying personalities from what she had seen so far; Mavi was like a father, Zahn a child, Kygar a loyal friend, and Ebon… moody. The Elites had their own idiosyncrasies. They laughed, as Zahn had just done, and they expressed emotions. Eryn had seen disbelief, anger, sadness, and happiness. They had names, feelings, and thoughts, so what made them so different from anyone else?

“Zahn, could I ask you a question?” Eryn looked over at the taller being. He looked down and grinned.

“You just did.” Eryn groaned. _He’s the annoying little brother of the bunch; I’d bet money on it._

“I thought you guys didn’t like doctors. Why ask me to help Kygar?” Eryn genuinely wanted to know. Perhaps the UNSC didn’t understand the Elites as well as they thought.

“There is an old Sangheili belief system that says your blood is your honor. Going to a doctor was seen as a great shame because your blood, your honor, was not being spilled in battle.” Zahn snorted and shook his head, casting a glance over at Eryn. “That was a wasteful, _primitive_ way of thinking that cost us many soldiers. Now, after the war, most Sangheili understand that doctors are necessary, as we have been depleted.”

Eryn nodded and sighed with relief, contented by his answer. She grabbed her pack, which was resting nearby, and slung it onto her back. Zahn noticed her relieved look and huffed curiously.

“Did you ask this because you are a doctor, or because you did not wish to be disliked?” Eryn stopped in her tracks and blinked.

“A little of both, I think.” Eryn answered truthfully and saw Zahn tilt his head curiously at her reply.

“No worries, Eryn. Now, let us help Ky.” The Zealot walked past the woman and she followed him, trying to match his strides. Zahn was smaller than Kygar, but bigger than Mavi. Zahn moved with a childlike approach; he had a bounce in his step and a gleam in his eyes.

As they got closer, Kygar lifted his head to watch them. Still a little wary, Eryn sat crouched down next to the Ranger. Zahn said something to Kygar and waved to the human, to which the other responded with a harsh chuckle. Kygar turned to Eryn as she began to pull various supplies from her pack.

“You called Eryn?” Kygar’s voice was a dark rumble.

“Yes. I’m going to patch up your leg… if you don’t mind.” She said kindly. Eryn moved to arrange her materials and saw that Kygar was following her hands. Instead of responding to her, the Ranger merely moved his injured leg closer to her with a pained groan.

Zahn crept up behind Eryn and then sat down next to her, watching the young medic with rapt attention. The woman had pulled out a sterilized needle, a roll of string to stitch with (but it wasn’t actually string, it was a type of material that melted away as time passed and the wound closed up), and a new roll of gauze and bandages to cover the wound. She had it all arranged in an orderly fashion around her. Zahn came closer and leaned over to examine the objects the woman had splayed out. His amber eyes flashed over each object with wonder. He watched as Eryn had put on thin gloves and gave Kygar a quick nod, letting him know she was beginning the procedure.

Zahn’s head was almost resting on Eryn’s shoulder as he watched her work. Eryn gently removed the old, bled-through gauze and bandages from Kygar’s leg. She placed them in a plastic bag and then sterilized the wound with a soft towel, wiping away the crust of dried blood. She quickly checked the wound for any debris or foreign objects that may have found their way into the wound. Finding none, she moved on to the next step. Zahn breathed over her shoulder and flicked his eyes over Eryn’s hands as she prepared the needle.

“What are you going to do with that?” Zahn questioned. Eryn tried to hide her surprise that the Zealot would be so inquisitive of medical procedures, despite having accepting the necessity of doctors.

 

“I’m going to stitch his wound closed so that the skin will heal.” Eryn leaned close to Kygar’s injury and flicked her blue eyes at the Ranger.

“Are you ready?” Eryn wasn’t too keen on having Kygar flinch when she began her stitching simply because he hadn’t been probably prepared. The stoic Ranger simply nodded in response, leaning back against the tree and crossing his arms as if he wasn’t about to have a seven-inch gash sown up on his leg. Eryn began stitching up the wound with an expert hand and making sure not to cause any unnecessary pain. The medic had to admit that Kygar was an excellent patient. He hardly moved at all during the procedure. When she finished there was a long piece of excess string still attached to the needle and the wound, so she pulled out a pair of scissors to cut it, and tied a tricky knot on the end. Sitting up, Eryn quickly disposed of the needle and thread into the same bag for hazardous waste that she’d used for Kygar’s old bandages.

Zahn moved over her shoulder again. “Are you finished? He is fixed?”

Eryn shook her head and smiled. “Not quite; I still have to cover Kygar’s wound that so that it doesn’t become infected.” Zahn gave a soft, curious growl, but said nothing else.

The woman began to gingerly cover the sutures in a waterproof, breathable bandage that would allow for protection and keep the skin clean. Once the bandage was secure, she placed a thin layer of semi-tight gauze over the whole thing. While it wasn’t as breathable as she’d liked, it would allow for extra protection for the bandage.

“What did you cover it with?” Zahn asked over her shoulder.

“A bandage. It’s to absorb any blood that leaks after I’m done stitching up the wound. It protects the sutures, too.” Eryn removed her gloves and also placed them in the hazardous waste container in her pack. Zahn watched every movement with an extreme curiosity. Eryn looked back up at Kygar and nodded in satisfaction.

“The wound is all sown up and has fresh bandages. The wound should close up nicely.” She replaced all of her materials and slid her pack onto her back. Kygar tentatively moved his leg as if to examine her work, and then dipped his armored head to her.

“Thank you, Eryn.” The Ranger’s voice was deep and laced with gratitude. He no longer seemed to struggle to find his words and for a moment it was as if a haze had been lifted from his mind. Kygar turned back to himself and sighed. Eryn sat back and felt the weight of Zahn move off from behind her.

“I shall inform Mavi of your wellbeing, Kygar.” Zahn walked off as Kygar grunted.

Left to herself, Eryn rose to her feet and took a few steps away from the tree’s shade and stood in the sun. The medic tried to estimate the time based on the sun’s position since her own clock seemed to be stuck on Earth time. No matter what time it was though, Eryn knew that her absence had probably been noticed by now. She wasn’t the only medic, but she was closely watched due to her likeliness to wander off and disappear.

Eryn sighed. _They’re probably out looking for me right now._

Zahn walked back towards the human, but paused when he saw her watching the distance. He walked closer to her and eyed her. He tried to see what it might be that she was looking at by placing his head around the angle of the human's and staring, searching for what he didn’t know. Still unsure, he decided to ask as he closed the distance in only a few strides.

“What are you looking at?” Eryn was pulled from her thoughts and she turned to look at the dark blue Zealot.

“Nothing, I was just thinking about how my troop will be out looking for me now. I’ve been gone for a while.” She sighed once more and then turned to face the forest she had just traveled through. Zahn followed her gaze. He looked back at her and then murmured something in his own language.

“You... do not want to be found?” The Zealot was thoroughly confused. Eryn looked at Zahn, his eyes glowing with an innocence unlike anything she'd seen before. She laughed.

“It’s not that…” She didn’t know what to say, really. That she didn’t like her group? That wasn’t true. She had many friends there, ones she wouldn’t want to lose. So what? She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Zahn was about to say something else when Mavi stepped over, effectively silencing the Zealot.

“You should return to your group, Eryn.” His voice was not commanding, but more of a firm suggestion. His stout body reflected his words, authority hung over him like a fog. The fatherly tone that Eryn always seemed to get from him melted back into his voice.

“What about you guys? Will you be okay?” Eryn voiced her concern; she was worried that if her troop ran into them, it would not end well for anyone. Mavi and Zahn passed each other looks and then back at Eryn. A quiet laugh escaped Zahn and he looked at the human before him.

“We can take care of ourselves; you needn’t worry.” Zahn tried to assure her by nudging her shoulder gently with his fist. He turned to Mavi and said something in the Sangheili language.

“We will honor your kindness, Eryn.” Mavi dipped his head and Eryn mimicked the gesture.

“Thank you. I’m glad I was able to help you, I really am.” Zahn chuckled at her as he turned back to the others. Mavi was left standing by her side.

“You should head back now. It’d be best if your comrades did not know of our presence.” Mavi’s tone was serious. Eryn nodded and sighed.

“You’re right, Mavi,” Eryn met the blue HUD coverings of the Ultra’s armor and smiled. “It was a pleasure to meet you, to meet all of you.”

“Even though two of us tried to kill you?” Mavi tipped his head.

“We can’t all be perfect.” Eryn chuckled over her shoulder and began looking for a low, less steep hill to climb up and out of the ravine. She walked past the tree where Kygar rested and he dipped his head as she passed. She returned his gesture and headed towards a gentle slope that led to a thicket of bushes. It looked easy enough to climb.

Eryn reached to check her magnetic, severely outdated, compass, but found that it wasn’t in its container on her belt. The tough fabric had no holes, so where was it? She looked back over her shoulder to see if she had someone dropped or misplaced it, and wasn’t surprised in the least to see Zahn holding her aged compass. _How did he get it without me noticing?_

She stalked back down to him and stopped only a full two feet from him when she heard rustling from the nearby undergrowth. Her heartbeat rose in her ears as she strained to detect the source. All of the gathered Elite’s heads had snapped in the direction of the noise, their finely attuned hearing gave them a big advantage. They were all deathly quiet as they waited for whatever or whoever made the sound to reveal itself. They heard nothing, but Eryn could feel the tension in the air like a tangible weight.

Kygar growled from his position under the tree and Mavi stood by his side, just as defensive. Zahn had taken a stance from behind Eryn as he peered at the lip of the ravine. Ebon’s growl was by far the loudest and angriest and he looked like a predator ready to pounce. A few more silent moments passed and they relaxed slightly. Just as they thought the possible threat had passed them by, the undergrowth rustled once again, louder, and the black and gold Field Marshall, Ebon, activated his energy sword and stalked towards the edge. He was closer to the reach of the undergrowth and he too stood about two feet from Eryn.

The medic could see the hostility in the air around Ebon and it only made her more frightened. She only carried a small pistol for her personal defense. It was one she had never been forced to use before, but she felt her hand find its way to it. Both Zahn and Ebon crept closer to the rustling, the hum of Ebon’s blade louder than before. The Marshall was nearly abreast Eryn before he halted, his growl a near roar.

“Back away from the medic, split-jaw.”


	5. The Captain's Orders

Frozen in place and armed to the teeth, the four Elites watched with brilliant, angry eyes at the trembling undergrowth. Prepared to attack and defend, their weapons had emerged hungry for blood. The thick leaves and brush rustled again from the direction of the voice, dry and rattling, yet muted by the newer, lush vegetation. There was a wispy-gray puff of smoke that burst through the brush and a tall man, wearing a mud-stained UNSC combat uniform stepped out. He had pale skin covered in leathery wrinkles and thin hair the color of the smoke. His eyes were an aged brown like the dirt beneath his boots and a large cigar burned between his crinkled lips. The man, nametag reading Captain Ross, kept his pistol raised and aimed at the head of the nearest Elite; in this case it was Ebon.

“He’s not going to hurt me, sir. You can put the gun down.” Eryn told the Captain, a slight hiss sneaking into her tone. The Captain jumped down from the ledge to stand out from the undergrowth. He moved slowly, both age and the planet's higher gravity pulling his old bones towards the earth. His hand reached out and he knocked the ashes off his cigar. Puffing smoke once again, the older man smiled with yellowed teeth.

"Not gonna hurt you, huh? Then what’s he doing with that there energy sword, missy?" The Captain raised and pointed with his pistol at Ebon, a suspicious gleam in his aged eyes. Even from there the smell of the flavored cigar, probably vanilla, wafted over quite noxiously.

Eryn rolled her eyes in annoyance and looked over her shoulder to peek at Ebon. His armored body was tense and his gleaming gold eyes were hard. Again his sword was bared like a tooth in a devilish grin. She could hear the same almost-roaring growl escape from him, rumbling through her thin bones like a quake. The woman moved to stand in front of Ebon, throwing her arms out in an effort to deter the Captain from shooting him.

"The same thing you're doing with your pistol, sir. He's preparing to defend himself." Eryn did nothing to conceal her sass, anger, and disdain for the older man’s hostility, letting the Captain know full well her stance on the stand-off.

Ebon glanced down at the medic upon hearing her response, upon seeing her protect him with her own body, upon risking herself to defend him. The Marshall’s eyes softened in surprise and reflected his utter confusion for barely a moment before they steeled themselves. Why would a human defend him? And against her own kind? It made absolutely no sense at all. Either this woman before him was incredibly foolish or incredibly brave. Ebon wasn’t sure which.

Captain Ross chuckled loudly at the medic, causing more ashes to fall from his half-burnt cigar. He puffed out smoke again, a larger, darker cloud this time that hung in the air like a ghost.

"You're quite the independent soul, aren't you, Miss O'Malley? Running off and befriending the Covenant? Now that's something you would do." He lowered his pistol as he chuckled, shaking his head in sheer exasperation.

The Elites cast sideways glances at one another in regard to the Captain’s comment. _What kind of trouble does this human get herself into?_

Ebon made a slightly disappointed, slightly annoyed noise beside Eryn and he sheathed his energy sword; he had decided there was no immediate threat to himself or his comrades. Ebon made a half-hearted hissing noise in the direction of the Captain, but he remained standing behind Eryn.

“We are _not_ the Covenant. I detest them.” Ebon spat the word ‘Covenant’ and a snarl laced his words. Eryn was shocked to hear him speaking English, but she was mesmerized by his voice. Even filled with hate and anger, Ebon’s voice sounded like the ocean, deep and dark and powerful. It tumbled out of his throat like waves on the shore and Eryn felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

Captain Ross snorted at Ebon’s statement. “Doesn’t matter. You’re Sangheili. I don’t trust you farther than I can throw you.” Eryn scowled at Ross’s blatant racism.

“That’s not fair, Captain, you know that.” Eryn’s face had turned red with anger and she snarled at Ross. By then, the three other Elites had started to approach Eryn and her Captain.

“They wouldn’t trust a human if the tables were turned, missy.” Ross’s voice was even and cold; he’d seen too many good men and women on the receiving end of an Elite’s combat brutality. He knew that Eryn wanted to heal the gaping wound left by the war, that she wanted to help everyone she could, but he had to draw the line somewhere. Four killing machines in the form of Sangheili soldiers was a pretty good start.

“That statement is untrue.” Ebon pushed forward until he directly behind Eryn.

“I trust her.” Ebon’s voice rolled over them like a swell and crashed on the Captain. The human’s brown eyes met the Elite’s and he found himself wanting to believe it, if only for Eryn’s sake. Ross watched as the three other soldiers nodded their armored heads too.

“We trust her as well.” Mavi spoke for the others who also agreed with Ebon. Eryn herself was just as surprised as Ross when she heard Ebon’s first response and then the admissions of trust from the other three. _Does Ebon really trust me? Do they all really trust me?_

“Why? What makes her so special that you wouldn’t try to kill her on sight?” Ross queried with a suspicious glare. It was Mavi who responded with a light, orderly tone.

“We did. Twice, actually, but she survived.” Mavi spoke like he was disappointed, but he continued. “Despite this, Eryn still offered us her assistance. She was kind to us even though we were not kind to her.”

Ross sighed and pressed his face into his hand, then groaned loudly. “That sounds just like something you do, O’Malley. I’m starting to think you might be insane.”

Eryn jumped in quickly. "Who else came with you, Ross?" Eryn hoped dearly that no trigger-happy ODSTs were waiting in the bushes ready to jump down, kick ass, and bust heads. Ross looked up and blinked, wiping sweat from his brow.

"It's just me, missy. If others had been with me, your buddies would’ve already been dead. You know that." Ross could detect her distrust and the Captain knew that with Eryn’s past she’d probably never like him, but he was surprised that she so easily trusted the Sangheili, especially after what had happened to her family. _Beats me as to why she’s so damn nice._

Eryn's racing heart had calmed only slightly and her anger still pulsed through her. She was still nervous and upset when Ross approached her with a resigned tone in his voice. The Elites were still standing behind her and she knew that made the Captain antsy.

"What are we going to do about your buddies then, Eryn? I can’t, in good conscience, leave them. I’m not risking my career for them.” He had to say something. _The war may be over, but that doesn't mean everything is all sunshine and daffodils. People are still bitter and pissed and full of hate._ Eryn frowned and then inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. When she reopened them, they had a fierce, fiery look and her face was like steel.

“Then risk mine.”

Ross couldn’t hide the amount shock and surprise on his face. He knew how hard Eryn had worked to get where she was now. If she was willing to throw it all away…

“If something happens, Ross, then I’ll take the blame.” Her voice was as serious as it got and her words were full of promise. The older man opened his mouth to counter but she cut him off with a sharp glare.

“I won’t,” She crossed her arms and stood tall. “I absolutely will _not_ stand by and let them suffer to spare someone else’s _feelings_.” The Elites behind her were staring down at the little human who they know realized had risked her own military career for _their_ sakes. Mavi moved to stand next to her and he gave her a soft huff of approval. Ross scowled disbelievingly at her and the Elites.

“You can’t be serious, Eryn. They’re not even human.” He tried to get his medic to see reason, but he knew she could be as stubborn as a bull if she wanted to. _Why do I even bother to try and reason this girl?_

“Doesn’t matter. Every life is important Captain, human or not. I won’t leave them alone on this planet with no way to get home. I wouldn’t want someone to do that to me.” Eryn could hear Ebon’s breathing over her head. She glanced up to see the black and gold Marshall standing over her. The woman felt her confidence soar as she faced her commanding officer.

“Eryn. Please. We can’t just go waltzing into camp with four Sangheili. People would lose their shit if we did that.” He paused for breath. “The war may be over darling, but people still have personal scores to settle. They’d be in just as much if not _more_ danger in our camp than on their own.” He gestured towards the Elites.

"The troopers can get over it. Besides, I’m sure my friends here can handle themselves.” Eryn said this with a curling smile as she watched the graying man before her lose his composure. Sighing deeply, the old Captain grinned in secession with cracked lips; he smothered his cigar on his pants, putting the half burnt cigar in his pocket, and stared hard at the daring woman.

“It’s their blood on your hands, missy. If anything happens to my soldiers because of them-” He pointed a grizzled finger at the Elites. “It’s on you.”

“I know.” He could hear the weight in her voice. She knew was she was risking to help the Sangheili and was still going to try. She knew how many lives were at risk, yet she persisted. Ross blinked at Eryn and began to talk slowly, a calm seeping into his tone.

“You’ve got guts, missy, and I won’t lie to you; you’re strong enough to fight for what you believe in and you’re willing to make the necessary sacrifices. But what’s better, you’ll do so without the violence and hate and without spillin’ blood. While I don’t agree with the majority of your beliefs, young’un, I tolerate them because I know you’re not the only one who thinks that way. You do right by people, Eryn.” He held out a hand to the woman. She took it, hesitantly, and they shook hands.

“I’ll give your friends here the benefit of the doubt, but if even one of them causes trouble…” Ross let his words hang in the air. Eryn nodded.

“I understand, sir.”

“Now don’t get me wrong here, but people ain’t gonna be happy with you or me about this. You’re gonna be a target and people might try to hurt you.” Ross added with all honesty.

“Let them try.” Kygar snorted.

Eryn smiled and thanked her Captain for his bluntness and honesty in the face of disdain and distrust. _Perhaps this would end on good terms?_

"If only we could all think like you, missy. Imagine how much nicer the world would be if everyone had a heart like yours." He sighed once again and moved to look at the group of gathered Elites. He took in the damage of the crashed ship and made a few weak grunts as he made a quick mental note. He noticed the large Ranger who was leaning his weight on one side due to the injury on one of his legs; the wound had been well tended. Ross casted Eryn a questioning look and she threw him an affirmative nod.

“Well then. Eryn, stay put and keep them in line.” The Captain turned to look deep into the wood from where he came. “I’m going to send back and escort and let the rest of the camp know we have some new marching buddies.”

“Thank you, Captain.” Ross chuckled at the young woman.

“Don’t thank me, missy. At least not yet, anyways.” The man began to climb, pulling himself up the sloping wall by exposed roots and rocks. A small flurry of dirt tumbled down after he disappeared into the brush. After several moments, the sounds of rustling undergrowth faded as the Captain traveled farther away.

When Eryn was sure Ross was gone, she gave a great, relived exhale and her shoulders slumped. Straightening up, the woman placed her hands on her hips and gave a soft laugh.

“That went better than I thought it would.” Laughing gently, the woman turned to the Sangheili still standing behind her. Ebon and Mavi were closest to her, their intimidating forms no less great than before. It was a little bit awkward. Eryn wasn’t quite sure what to say. Kygar quickly alleviated the rigid air.

“You are brave human, Eryn. You could be good Sangheili.” Eryn smiled at the comment. Mavi made a low comment and Ebon made a grunting noise.

Zahn had made his way by Eryn's side, compass in hand. The dark blue Zealot opened it gently and held out to the young medic. While she was surprised he had been able to get from her without her noticing, Eryn wasn’t really angry.

"What is it?" His voice was soft. Eryn nearly melted listening to it.

"It's a compass. I use it to see what direction I'm traveling in."

Zahn pulled the compass back in front of him and stared at it. He moved it in different directions, trying to make it work. Eryn smiled and placed a hand on her hip, a small laugh escaping her. Zahn turned back to her confusedly and handed her the compass, ignoring the laughter on her face.

"I think this one is broken." Eryn laughed at the Elite and stood next to him, placing the compass in his hand. It was archaic, she knew, and that was probably why Zahn had so quickly denounced it as broken.

"It's really old, Zahn. It doesn't work like our normal ones." Zahn scoffed and waved his hand.

"Then why have it? It is obsolete and therefore junk." He handed it back to her. Eryn said nothing but looked the compass over in her hands.

"It is obsolete and practically useless, but it's not junk. It has sentimental value. It has been passed down by my family for generations." She held it close to her heart, defending the little hunk of metal. Zahn cocked his head.

"But why a compass and not something more important? Perhaps a weapon? Or possibly a piece of armor?"

"My compass was important. How else would those long-ago warriors know where to go? Those weapons and armor would be useless if you couldn't find your enemies." Eryn retorted, not offended, but startled by the militant obsession.

"Besides, every aspect of a battle is important Zahn. Not just the weapons or armor." Zahn moved to speak, but silenced himself at Eryn’s comment.

"You don't think like a soldier, Eryn. You think like a..." He struggled for the word. He was hunting for it.

"A leader. She thinks like a leader." Both turned to see Ebon standing a few feet off, his eyes glinting.

"But a leader must fight, Ebon." Zahn countered the Marshall. Eryn waited hungrily for his response. This elite was enigmatic.

"A leader must fight, that is true. But not when she can outsmart her enemies." Ebon turned away without waiting for Zahn to respond. The Zealot looked to the human and then back to the retreating Marshall.

"Ebon is both warrior and strategist. He can think and fight." Zahn grunted. How the conversation had strayed from an old compass to military ranking, he would never guess.

"Well I'm nothing more than a medic. It's not my place to lead or fight." Eryn admitted with a sigh. She would never fight unless her life truly did depend on it. They fell silent as Mavi approached them.

“The light will only be remaining for a short time now. Let us hope your escorts make it here in time." Mavi said while looking at the sky. Eryn looked up as well and then nodded.

"Let’s hope." She sighed. She’d rather go back by herself, but she could understand the need to have an escort.

The Elites and Eryn were standing close together in the hollow, waiting for the escort. Eryn watched the sky while she listened to the Elites converse. Her eyes fell towards the edge of the ravaged clearing. Minutes passed before they heard the bushes at the edge begin to rustle. Eryn froze, as did the Elites behind her, their voices halted. The undergrowth rustled and shook for several good seconds and two heavily armed ODSTs busted out. Eryn dropped back from where she was and stood in front of Mavi and the others. She spread out her arms, a seemingly universal symbol for "don't shoot." The ODSTs' weapons were raised, but one of them did lower their weapon after judging the scene. It jumped down from the ledge and stood before the medic. It removed its helmet in one clicking sweep.

"Chill out, girl. I’m not gonna shoot your pals there. Captain Ross just told us to cover your back on your return trip." It was a man with dark skin and deep brown eyes and his shining head lacked hair. His nametag said Slader. Eryn didn't lower her arms; one of the ODSTs still had their weapon poised to attack. She glared at the ODST, whose nametag labeled him as Dublith, until he lowered his shotgun and shook his head in surrender. Dublith jumped down and stood beside Slader, his gun rattling against him.

"Come on now, sweet thing. You gotta get back to camp. The Covies are our responsibility." Dublith tried to charm the agitation from Eryn, but it didn't work. Slader hit him in the chest with the back of his hand, reminding Dublith of his place. With the ODST cradling his chest in pain, Slader waved his arm in the direction he had come from.

"Let's get a move on, huh?"

Eryn nodded and began to move forward, the two ODSTs walking a little ahead of her, but off to her sides. The Elites followed a few feet behind, and every now and then one of the men would look back and check on them, perhaps to see if they were still there and still complacent. They traveled on like this for a while, passing through the thickest part of the jungle-forest. The sun had begun to disappear behind the tree line, leaving a dark, jagged edge that contrasted the bright shining light of the sunset. Bugs of a large variety began to call out to one another and other creatures of the dark started to awaken.

Behind her, Eryn could hear little bits of the conversations of the Elites, all in their native language. It was a beautiful language in Eryn's opinion. She loved the sound of the harsh growls accompanied by soft trills and low rumbles. The very sound of the timbre of their voices was enough to grab her attention. Even now she listened to it, focusing intently upon what they the Elites were saying, even though she didn't understand what they were talking about. The young medic was actually paying so much attention to them that she wasn't watching where she was placing her feet, so she slipped on a patch of loose topsoil and slid backwards. A small gasp escaped from between the medic's pink lips as she began to fall backwards. Just before she hit the ground, Ebon rushed forward and caught Eryn, his chest taking the impact of her back and his arm wrapping around her waist to keep her from bouncing off of him and crashing into the dirt. Eryn's hands gripped at his arm in an attempt to steady herself. She could feel the armor plating of Ebon's chest rising and falling against her back, and she could feel the strength of his arm holding her in place. She looked up into Ebon's golden eyes, which Eryn realized were actually bright gold in the center around the pupil, whilst the color faded and grew darker as it moved away from the pupil. The very edges of his eyes were a pale amber. Ebon huffed out a breath of hot air and growled.

"You should be more careful, Eryn." His voice was thick with an accent, but it was smooth and had a low timbre that the medic could feel it vibrate through her very bones. It was calming, and Eryn would have loved to hear more of it, but instead she simply nodded and removed herself from Ebon's grip. She moved up the path she was following and felt her hands shaking. Her blood was flowing with adrenaline. One of the ODSTs, Dublith, waited up to grasp her arm and pull her ahead to be next to him.

"You okay, Eryn? That Covie didn't hurt you did he?" Dublith whispered quietly; little did he know that the Elites he was talking about could hear everything he was saying. Angry growls escaped Ebon's throat and Mavi hissed in utter disgust. Eryn responded in a similar manner to Dublith's question. Shoving his hand away, the woman pushed his shoulder and glared at him.

"He didn't hurt me, Dublith! And his name is Ebon; I suggest you learn it." Eryn spit the words at him.

The medic's eyes burned in hate and she moved away from him, walking closer to Slader and the Elites. Slader had seen the whole little episode and he motioned to Dublith by dragging his finger across his neck sharply then pointing at him. _That girl is gonna kick your ass, dude._ The other ODST shook his head in upset confusion as he turned back towards the direction of the camp. _Why does she not like me?_

This was going to be a long walk.

 


	6. Unwelcome Welcoming

The diverse group reached the UNSC’s small camp just before the remaining sunlight in the sky sank and left it dark, coming to a close on the planet’s second half-day. Puffy white clouds drifted by slowly, blanketing the sky thickly in some areas. The twinkling stars were just becoming visible in the creeping darkness and one of the three moons that orbited the garden planet was rising. The second-largest moon gave off a pale blue glow and it seemed like a giant gem in the alien sky. The moon’s surface was smooth; it lacked any signs of impact craters. It only shone with three-quarters of its brightness. Soon it would be a full moon, along with its sister moons. Eryn couldn't wait to see the three moons in their complete glory; one a gleaming orange, another a pale blue, the last a soft yellow. She imagined what Earth would be like if it had three moons. _Crazy tides, right?_

The young woman was broken from her thoughts when Zahn, in all of his excitability and endless curiosity, had asked about the varying phases of the moons and the effects it had on the nearby planet. Eryn had smiled brightly at the chance to talk once again with Zahn, if only to listen to his rumbling waterfall of a voice. The medic had moved to walk beside him to explain; to anyone else, they must've looked like gossiping teenagers. The moon and stars, from what light peeked through the hefty clouds, shone down and reflected off the Elite's deep blue armor. Eryn loved it. She loved the moment she was in. Who else could say they took a nightly stride with an Elite who asked questions like a six-year-old child? Eryn was bubbling over in pure bliss. She loved the complex simplicity of the universe and all its living things.

Zahn moved even closer, going so far as to lean in close when he talked. He dipped his head, his gleaming green eyes reflecting his interest in the conversation as Eryn pointed and gestured while she talked. His voice trembled with joy as he learned, as he connected the dots in Eryn’s explanations. When he asked his questions, they seemed to be on the most basic of subjects. The medic knew better than ask about his limited range of knowledge; she knew he was excited also, yet was amazed to see how well he kept his voice down despite it. She was surprised to discover, upon Mavi’s quick comment explaining a very singular range of learning, that they had not been educated on such _trivial_ things, having only been taught war strategies, war history, and how their own government operated. They did not receive much of an education beyond that unless they were selected for a specialized area which would require more than the basic schooling. But the human didn't mind Zahn's, and understandingly the others, lack of a more expansive education. She would be patient with them and their questions; she loved a natural curiosity.

Kygar and Mavi listened in to her lesson as well, making comments here and there, but Ebon had his eyes on the two ODSTs. It was not that he felt threatened by their presence, but that he still had trouble trusting them. He knew well enough that the war was over, and he was thankful that they had no need to fight, but that innate, instinctual aggression was still lingering in his blood. His whole being was bred for war, for the war with humans. Now it was _over._ His predatory focus turned back to the three humans: the female and the two males. Ebon strongly disliked the male human Eryn had called "Dublith." He expressed a dominant figure, aggressive and possessive. It felt like a hollow dominance though; it was a façade. Ebon may not know much about humans, but he is no fool. The Dublith male must have an attraction towards Eryn, as the male had tried to assert himself over her. The attraction is obviously one-sided per Eryn's repulsed response. That, for some odd reason, made Ebon want to laugh. It was satisfying to see him so quickly rejected by the female, and then to see her so vehemently defend his very enemy.

 _She defended me_ , he thought quietly. _What an odd human, that one._

The other human was alright with him; the "Slader" male. This male had a more submissive yet still dominant attitude. It was a playful attitude with the tinge of a hidden strength underneath it all. This male could fight if need be, but would not go out of his way to find one. The male also seemed to accept the war's recent ending and Ebon sensed no hostility from the him beyond basic suspicion. Ebon doubted he'd have any problems with this male, and that any issues would arise from conflict with Dublith. The Field Marshall looked over his shoulder to see the third human: the female, Eryn. She walked closely with his brothers, his comrades, and he knew right away that she was not truly human. In every genetic, biological, anatomical sense, she was human. But not her soul. Not her mind. She was very different. She had to be. How else could she so easily accept him and his brethren not as threats, but as potential friends? This female behaved differently from every human he had ever encountered in his twenty-seven years of life. Ebon chuffed in a confused manner, neither comforted nor pained by her oddness.

Looking again, he examined her shape and form. Eryn was lithe; she was narrow and thin, but powerful. Yet still a human. She was weak in every sense of the word compared to himself. He saw her long legs. She's a runner. He saw her hands at work. She's dexterous. He saw her mind at work. She's intelligent.

He met her eyes. She's human.

The medic smiled at him, languidly blinked, and then continued to explain the phases of the moon to the three other Elites. Ebon quickly turned back to stare at the ODSTs trotting along before him. He had been startled the first time he had met Eryn's eyes. The only other eye colors he had seen in his entire life had all been brown, gold, varying shades of green, or a pale amber.

But never blue. _Never_ blue. When he looked into her eyes, he saw the sky when it was cold outside. He saw a frozen river that weaved down a mountainside or carved through a valley. He saw ice, he saw a crystal clarity not present in his species' muddled and pale eyes. Her's were sharp and clear and unnaturally bright.

He liked her eyes.

Ebon knew it. Though he would never admit it or say it out loud. Such compliments did not come easily to his battle-scarred mind or slip from his curse-ridden mouth. He blinked his own pale gold eyes and sighed. One of the ODSTs, Slader, turned around and called out to Eryn and the Elites that stalked behind him.

"We're here!" His voice rang out clear against the warm summer air, unusually dry for the jungle. He was being obnoxiously loud, but Eryn figured Slader was only being so loud so that the actual camp would know they had arrived. What kind of a mess would it be if they just sauntered into the camp with four Elites in tow, completely unannounced? _A bloody mess, that’s for sure._

Mavi quickly cast a warning look at Ebon and told him something in their tongue, a low rumble accompanied by a click, to which Ebon responded with a harsh grunt and a mutter under his breath. Eryn figured it was Mavi suggesting that Ebon try to keep his cool. Zahn laughed a sort of chuffing, hurring-like noise at Ebon's grudging response. Kygar nudged Zahn roughly with his arm and barked at him. Zahn was hushed immediately and looked away in mock shame, yet his pride slightly damaged. Eryn, now walking behind them, focused solely on their voices; she loved the sounds of their language. It was like a liquid that poured over the earth, rapid and thick, yet broken by the jaggedness of stone. It had power in it, yet was capable of soft sounds.

"Quit fooling around, Zahn." Kygar spoke a broken version of English. Every now and then he could manage to make a complete and grammatically correct sentence; albeit a short one. Eryn vowed to help teach him one day, should she get the chance.

Slader turned to face the gathered group of Elites, letting Dublith go on ahead of him, disappearing through the brush with a dry rustling and a low curse under his breath.

"You guys ready? You're probably not gonna be too well-liked right away, but I'm sure Eryn can help y'all out with that." He winked at Eryn. Slader promised himself he would try to be kind to the Elites, if only for dear Eryn's sake. He was more worried for her than he was the Elites, though. She was much adored among the group of ODSTs, but he wondered how popular she would be after bringing their most hated enemy into their little camp. Peace or no peace, there would still be plenty of hate. Sighing inwardly Slader thought to himself, _that's exactly what she's fighting._

The group of Elites nodded sharply, their eyes hardening like forged iron. Slader dipped his head right back, his respect for their species shone through his attitude. He turned around quickly and passed through the bushes, his arm raised in a wave. Eryn stepped nimbly around the Elites, beginning to pass through the barrier, her eyes still locked with theirs. _Come on guys, you’ve got nothing to worry about while I’m around._ She waved her hand for them to follow, beckoning them forward. She didn't think they would be apprehensive, but instead confident like they were on the battlefield. But now she thought she was seeing a different side to the assumingly war-mongering species. _Why do they hesitate?_

When the Elites finally slipped through the bushes and into the camp, many of the troops were definitely surprised. Even when they had been alerted ahead of time, they still seemed to disbelieve. Mavi came through first, as he had become a leader-like figure among the group despite his ranking, and he was accompanied by several shocked gasps when his pale orange armor glittered in the dim light. His blue eye coverings were bright, casting blue shadows over his armor. He didn't stop walking until he stood directly behind Eryn who, in turn, tried to stand tall beside the giant being. She grinned at him, trying to make him feel more comfortable. She received a low huff of laughter and a friendly nudge. Next was the lumbering green Ranger with Zahn following close behind him like a deep blue shadow. Zahn was rather eager to see the human camp in all actuality, but was also greatly concerned with the humans' reception of him. He'd always been a little _oversensitive_ by Sangheili standards.

By now a few of the ODST had risen from their places, a confusion of emotions welling up, and were holding their weapons at the ready. Mavi and the others picked up on their growing hostility and began to take on defensive postures, but attempted to remain as far from hostile as they could. Their stances changed from tense with nervousness to tense with suspicion in less than a moment. Eryn stood close to the Sangheili warriors, nearly touching Kygar, to show that they weren’t a threat. Zahn creeped up behind her and lowered his head to her shoulder, thanking her in hushed tones for her confidence in them. She smiled at his words. Mavi and Kygar nodded in agreement. “You are brave, Eryn.” Kygar added in a warm, gruff voice. Eryn’s head swam. Everything they knew about the Sangheili race seemed so wrong, so inappropriately wrong, now that she was so close in contact with them. _Just wait, everybody will learn soon enough._

When Ebon finally walked through, he had an air of suspicion hanging around him like a thick fog already. Ebon saw how the ODSTs had released their weapons and he immediately went to reach for his, rushing to his brothers' sides in order to protect them. Mavi stopped him quickly by grabbing his wrist and pushing it away from his holstered sword. He growled at the gold-toned Elite; his words harsh even for his guttural language. Ebon did not growl back. He did not pull rank. In fact, he did nothing but look away, accidentally catching Eryn's startlingly blue eyes. She gave him a small smile in confidence, in understanding, and then glanced away. Ebon's hostility dropped away and guilt replaced it in a massive swell. He would not let go of Mavi's wounding words; they stung his heart as he realized the true weight of Eryn’s actions. _This human has risked much to help us, her own honor and reputation at stake. Do not make her sacrifice a vain one._

Several of the ODSTs had now approached Eryn and some had gone straight to Captain Ross, expecting to be told to deal with the trespassers. Eryn’s eyes hardened into icy sapphires of defensive fury. Two of the ODSTs, one a short woman and the other a lanky man, went to Eryn, but they did not have their weapons ready to shoot. The woman had bright curly red hair pulled back into a lengthy braid. Her eyes were startlingly green, like fresh buds sprung from the earth. She had tiny freckles peppering her cheeks; her nametag read McCallister. When she saw Eryn, she immediately ran up and hugged her, laughing. It seemed as if the woman paid no mind to the aliens behind Eryn. The man, who had run to catch up with the woman, had lightly tanned skin, short black hair, and dark brown eyes. His nametag read Wen. When he reached Eryn and McCallister, he was panting and smiling brightly.

"You sure are good at making friends, aren't you Eryn?" McCallister asked with a quick head tilt in the direction of the gathered Elites. They were standing in a group rather awkwardly, yet still an intimidating sight, because now that they were here, they didn't know what to do or where to go. The animosity of the troops didn't help either. The angry human eyes were doing just as much damage as any bullets. Eryn looked at them with a gentle gaze, willing them to understand her profound affection for them. Zahn responded first and his air changed to one of confidence, his eagerness to be involved showing through his anxiety. Eryn smiled at him as he moved more loosely, giving his allies some room. Mavi and Kygar shifted over as well, Kygar lifting his head in pride and power while Mavi gave Eryn a respectful nod. The woman returned it with earnest. Ebon continued to look like the sour one of the bunch, creeping up behind Kygar’s height. When they all had adjusted their attitudes, Eryn waved her hand and pointed at the two ODSTs in front of her with a welcoming gesture.

"This is Annalise McCallister," She pointed at the red-haired woman. "and this is Alex Wen." She moved her hand over to the lanky ODST. She turned to stand between Annalise and Alex and pointed at each Sangheili in turn.

"This is Kygar." The green Ranger nodded his head and huffed, pride in himself beamed off of him.

"This is Mavi." The Ultra dipped his head and he muttered a quiet greeting in English to them.

"This is Zahn." Surprisingly the Zealot only nodded, and didn't make a sound. Perhaps his youthful exuberance was wearing off?

"This is Ebon." Eryn had to point around Kygar, who quickly stepped aside to reveal the grumpy Field Marshall. The golden Elite dipped his head, but a growl rose in his throat. He stopped when he saw Eryn's eyes, which startled him into silence once more. The growl in his throat quieted, but he did not stifle his hard glare. Eryn winked at him, but he didn't understand its meaning. He may speak their language, but when it came to understanding the human's body language and physical communication, he was completely at a loss.

The two ODSTs were kind to the Elites; they did not seem hostile in the least. Eryn was very thankful for that because she knew that it was going to be a real struggle to get the rest of the group to behave like this. After the brief introductions, the two soldiers went back to their assignments and various duties around camp. One soldier had relayed to Eryn that the Captain would be out soon to speak with the Elites and address possible options for their safety. The spoke quickly and left quickly, casting nervous glances at the alien soldiers all the while. Eryn watched them go with a bit of reluctance, but took a deep breath and turned back to her visitors.

The woman relayed to Mavi the news and he thanked her, his tone serious, yet light. Standing between them, Eryn observed the Elites' behavior in a functioning human camp. Zahn was looking around excitedly, like he was taking in each little detail around him. He watched the interactions between the other soldiers, their looks at him and his brothers-in-arms, and how relaxed some of them seemed compared to others. Eryn could see the questions forming in his head. Mavi stood beside him and was doing the same, but not as intensely, but it made sense that they would want to observe the scene around them since they'd never been inside a human camp before unless it was to attack it. It was a completely new experience for them.

Kygar was less interested in the inner-workings of the camp and more keen on looking at the different weaponry that could be seen around the camp. There were the basic assault rifles that everyone carried all the way to special weapons like rocket launchers and high tech sniper rifles. Eryn was a little concerned about Kygar's interest in the weapons, but decided it was probable that Kygar was a weapons specialist. The maintenance and use of weapons would be more interesting to him as compared to someone else. Ebon was a different story all together. His golden eyes were hard and full of hostility; he looked at everyone like they were potential threats. Eryn could hear a small rumbling noise in his chest. It was not yet a growl, but Eryn was worried if he'd ever grow used to the peace between the Covenant and the humans. He seemed stuck in war as opposed to the rest of his group who seemed to be glad that it was over. Looking back at the camp and then to the Elites, she sighed.

_What am I going to do with them now?_


	7. Of Foes and Friends

The camp hadn’t calmed down any in the three hours since the Elites had arrived. It still bustled with the low hum of hushed voices as they spoke with each other, gossiping with discontent. And with the second moon peeking over the horizon with its pale yellow light, the night was only just beginning. After the Elites’ initial arrival, Captain Michel Ross had tried to ease the obvious tensions between his soldiers and the ex-enemies by giving a rather diluted speech about how the war was _over_ and it was time to repair the damage, to close the open wound, and make friends out of foes. It sounded shallow, like there wasn’t any real authority behind it, but it was still the captain’s words. The empty speech served its purpose in temporarily pacifying the angriest of the soldiers and calming the rest from becoming hostile. For Eryn, the medic knew it was nothing more than a halfwit’s gambit. It had no weight. The Captain’s resulting orders, however, were a different matter entirely.

No one was to pick a fight with the Elites.

_No one._

There was not to be a single fight over _anything_. Ross wasn’t going to have any bloodshed, whether it was red or purple, not while he could help it. Eryn was relieved to hear the words form on her Captain’s crinkled lips, despite the blatant desire expressed by large portions of the camp to disobey them. If it came to a fight, Eryn truly did fear for both parties; as casualties would be unavoidable. There was also the thought of who’s side she would jump to, whom she would defend, but she buried the creeping feeling of uncertainty and fear.

It had been within that first pensive hour of their arrival that Ross had gone out to speak with the quartet of alien soldiers, right after his speech. The aged captain had explained his situation as politely as he could, but Mavi had boiled it down to its purest, in a single curt phrase, exposing the ulterior motive of the captain. The pale orange Ultra had countered a shocked Ross with an unchecked bluntness but had still managed to avoid being overtly rude. It was evident to both leaders, however high on the food chain they might be, that they both knew of the darker truth to the Captain’s motives. A sense of respect was soon earned and shared between the both of them, both human and Sangheili, as they finally came to terms.

It was mutually understood, especially after the captain’s speech, that the Elites were to be treated like any other person, not as prisoners of war. Eryn had specifically insisted on this, her fury for equality far beyond obvious. The soldiers were not to antagonize the Elites, nor to threaten them, as he had previously stated. The captain made sure to memorize a little list of rules, rules made to be followed by everyone in the camp. Through it all, Eryn had promised to the captain, and to the Elites, that she would keep an eye out for their wellbeing. She promised herself that she would keep away all of the mistrust and hate thrown at them, even if it cost Eryn her own favor within the camp.

Casting her head about, Eryn took in the visible rift in her camp with a tired sigh. Plenty of people had issues with the situation, and each were handling it in their own ways. A few of them went and hid away in their tents; they were content to isolate themselves away from the situation and let other people handle it. They were the tiniest sign of a middle ground, of a gray area where they had made no concrete opinion. They didn’t care as long as they didn’t cause any trouble, so they just stayed out of sight, under the radar.

Most of the camp, however, including the vast majority of the ODSTs, held quite a negative opinion of the Elites. They felt that they should just shoot them now and be done with it, to just go ahead and rid themselves of a future problem. They weren’t worth the _effort_ of trying to become allies. While Eryn could understand their mistrust, _the war was over_. It aggravated her to no end that they would be so closed-minded, so cruel. Those groups of ODSTs separated into groups of varying levels of distrust and hate, each scattered over the lay of the camp. Eryn could tell which groups would probably pose a problem, which would be an annoyance, and which would ease of as time passed. Each of those little groups had their obvious stances and feelings for the new arrivals; their little gangs cast both suspicious and hateful glares at the Sangheili soldiers. With no toleration for their xenophobia, Eryn shot back her own glares, sharp as daggers and enough to make the hardened men inch back and lower their eyes from her burning blues. None of them would dare to cross her, especially when she was one of the few trained medics they had on staff and feared a misplaced syringe.

Despite the gross amount of hate brewing in the camp, some troops, like the young medic Eryn, were excited and intrigued by the aliens and were glad to see the scars of war finally being healed. They spoke softly to Eryn, attempted to associate with the Elites for a short time before they felt the tension in the air, and then moved off with their curiosity sated. The medic could see how uncomfortable the Sangheili were, and she wished she could ease their apprehension. They were definitely a proud, powerful people, but even the proudest person can feel awkward. Ebon and Zahn seemed to be feeling the worst of it, so she made sure to stay and sit closer by them, offering herself as a shield of sorts while they sat in the shadow of the trees. Zahn greatly appreciated her presence, as he dipped his head low and rested it on her shoulder. Eryn had learned something of a little tick of Zahn’s: he was very perceptive and overly _affectionate_. Eryn didn’t mind in the least. It didn’t surprise her when he began to ask another hail of questions; Zahn was intent on finding out as much as possible about human affairs.

When Eryn looked to her right to peek at Ebon, his gleaming eyes were locked firmly on a particular group of ODSTs. Following his golden gaze, she could spot the group containing six soldiers, one of which, surprise-surprise, was none other than Dublith.

“You don’t have to worry about him, he’s all bark and no bite.” Eryn commented, catching the attention of the black and gold Marshall that sat off to her right. His gaze flickered over to her momentarily, but he went back to watching the hostile man. The medic gave a soft smile at the Sangheili’s actions.

“It’s not myself that I worry for.” He growled the words, casting a sideways glance at the smaller woman. Blinking, he poked Eryn’s shoulder when she made her confusion obvious; Ebon pointed at Dublith, guiding the woman’s gaze as he continued to speak.

“He complains that you are an… idiot to stay so close to us.” Eryn scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“That’s nothing new.” She paused. “Wait… How can you hear him? He’s way over there!” She pointed with her whole arm, surprised.

“Sangheili have acute hearing; you’d be more surprised at what I _didn’t_ hear.” Ebon commented, causing Eryn to give a soft laugh and pull her arms back around her. Again her sky-blue eyes locked onto that of his gold ones, stunned by the intensity of the color.

“What else is he saying?” Eryn pushed against the sitting form of Ebon with her shoulder. His body tensed, but his voice was nothing but a calm rumble.

“He also complains about you being _prudish_ … among other things.” He hesitated to speak, as Ebon was trying to find a kinder word to substitute for the one Dublith had actually uttered.

Eryn gaped, her brow furrowed in annoyance and insult. She quickly rolled her eyes and gave an aggravated growl. She fell onto her back and covered her face, giving an exasperated sigh. The Sangheili turned his head to see the woman laying upon her back; Zahn, who had been on her left, leaned over her with concern in his eyes.

“Are you alright, Eryn?” Zahn asked softly. He blinked as his face came closer to the human’s. The medic gave a smile and laughed, allowing the Zealot to pull her back up to a sitting position.

“I’m fine. I’m just at my wit’s end when it comes to putting up with Dublith. I’m so done with him.” She groaned. Ebon grinned, but Eryn didn’t see it before it melted off of his features. Zahn gave a snort and crossed his arms over his chest, mimicking Eryn’s position. He raised his head and looked over at Dublith.

“I don’t like him much, either.” Zahn commented, looking back at Eryn. The woman gave him a grin in gratitude, leaning her back against Zahn’s side. The Sangheili gave a soft huff and dipped his head closer to hers.

“If he gives you guys any trouble, you let me know. I’ll teach him a lesson he won’t forget.” Eryn stated with a firm voice, her eyes hardening into pale sapphires. She wouldn’t tolerate that man’s coarse attitude and rude demeanor when it came to the treatment of her newest friends.

Mavi and Kygar, who had been sitting closer to Zahn, turned their eyes towards Eryn and they rumbled deep in their chests.

“Don’t worry for us, Eryn. We can handle a few harsh words; it wouldn’t be anything new for us.” Mavi said with his rolling voice, heavy like the fog that had spread over the warm forest.

“We are strong.” Kygar stated. He shuffled over to Eryn and sat off to the left, behind her, giving a rough, but kind, push to her shoulder. Eryn grinned.

“If anything,” Ebon began again, “You should be worried about what will happen to Dublith if he insists on speaking so crudely of you.” Eryn’s eyes widened in shock as the other three warriors all grunted in agreement. It made the medic wonder as to why they were so keen on protecting her.

“Why? You guys don’t have to do that. I don’t even understand why you guys are so… _friendly_ with me.” Eryn voiced her confusion. She cast her eyes into each of the Sangheili’s, at least those that she could actually see.

“You’ve not given us a reason to be unfriendly.” Mavi answered quickly, a tinge of surprise in his voice.

“Not only that, but you have acted as nothing but a shield for us,” Ebon spoke slowly; his voice was low. “It is only right we become shields for you as well.”

“Four shields are a bit much, don’t you think?” Zahn piped up, his voice light and cheerful as he spoke. Mavi grunted.

“Two of us should be weapons. I want to be a sword.” From Eryn’s place against his side, she could feel Zahn’s bright voice shake through her bones. The medic saw Ebon roll his eyes at the statement. She could only smile and laugh at the Zealot, his arm draped around her to shift her closer to him. “I will protect you, Eryn. You don’t need to worry.”

“Thanks, Zahn.” Eryn patted his arm; it seemed the other Elites weren’t shocked in the least to see how physical he was being with her. Ebon grunted and nudged Zahn’s armored form.

“You’re going to smother her before you can protect her,” He commented with a rumble. Zahn freed Eryn with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. Her body slipped from his grip and she tumbled into Ebon’s bulk. With a grunt, the Marshall sat her back upright and huffed with laughter. Eryn shook the dirt off of her body and sat cross-legged, a smirk on her face as she sat with the Sangheili.

When her cold-colored eyes drifted back out to the camp, she could see some of the soldiers look at her with both shock and a small measure of disgust. Perhaps it was because she was so open to the Sangheili, or that she seemed to prefer the alien company over their own. Whatever the reason, Eryn didn’t really care. She would be as kind and accepting with the Elites as she could; she was here to make sure no one tried anything, to make sure that they were treated with respect. The Elites themselves, despite Eryn’s constant pleasant presence, could still sense every negative emotion that was being felt because of their being in camp; the fear, hatred, the excitement, the nervousness. In what seemed the most prudent response, the Elites said and did nothing to excite the situation. With that, everyone stayed within their respective areas.

It was approaching the second hour now, and Eryn had a few of the most willing ODSTs help her set up some extra tents for the Elites. As it tended to rain heavily throughout the night, Eryn insisted that they get some decent cover. The Elites offered their help, as they were not too keen to let others do their work for them, and it was readily accepted by the uneasy soldiers. The ODSTs found it a tiny bit unnerving to work so closely with an Elite, as they had fought and killed their kind in battle after battle, but still they did not oppose their help. Eryn was happy to see it, even if the cooperation felt a little awkward. By the time they’d gotten the tarps up and properly supported, a cold breeze had already kicked up to warn of a long night of stinging, icy rain. The two tents, which were fairly large and had thick, waterproof fabric and sealable flaps on both ends, stood a little way away from the main camp. Eryn had thought it best if they gave themselves a little space. The conjoined tents were staked in a small clearing about twenty or so feet from the nearest ODST’s tent. The captain had stopped by for a moment to check on the Elites. He suggested assigning a sentry to watch them overnight, at least for now, but as soon as it had been suggested, the idea was immediately shot down by Eryn as she pulled her coat closer to her skin in the chill.

“If they need to be watched, I’ll watch them.” She said with a slight attitude, crossing her arms about her chest and scowling. She didn’t want to be rude, but she didn’t feel like testing her captain’s waning patience.

Despite this, the Elites settled in and were quick to shelter themselves under the cover of the massive tent. Mavi and Ebon sat along one side while Kygar and Zahn lined the other. They sat father to the back, facing outwards, watching the ODSTs pack up any loose articles and clean up before the nightly storm hit. It had become routine in their journey through the expansive forest; they’d learned fairly quickly that anything not strapped down was carried off by strong winds. Before everything was shut away and locked up, Eryn grabbed a lantern and strung it up inside the Elites’ tent. By then, the quiet patter of rain as it began to hit the tents had started.

The rain was cold as always, leaving the sun-warmed earth to steam, the transparent coils writhing over the ground. It seemed as if the earth were too dry, as the rain was soaked up almost immediately. Eryn groaned at the sight of the rain. She’d really had enough of it. Zahn moved his head, giving a curious chuff of the wet air.

“Do you not like the rain, Eryn?” Zahn asked quizzically. He didn’t see the woman’s surprise. She knew that the Zealot was highly perceptive, as he had to be, but perhaps she was making it too easy for him to read her?

“It’s not the rain I don’t like. It’s the _cold_ part. I don’t like the cold.” She huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. Zahn let out a rolling chuckle at her comment.

“You are more Sangheili than you think, Eryn.” Kygar spoke with a voice like an earthquake; it was deep and powerful, yet the aftershocks were surprisingly soft. Eryn laughed, a light, pleasant sound, and she sat down next to the larger being. The emerald warrior turned, watching her as she watched the rain. He grabbed her, enveloping her in his arms as he lifted her. Eryn gave a quiet gasp of surprise as she felt herself lifted like she was nothing more than a ragdoll. Kygar sat her down between himself and Zahn with a satisfied grunt.

“You will be warmer here, farther from the cold air.” Kygar explained quickly. Eryn casted him an odd glance, but said nothing to argue with the Ranger. She could feel the change in temperature almost right away; being stuck between the two armored soldiers was like being stuck between two space heaters.

“Our armor helps to maintain homeostasis… in case you were wondering.” Zahn leaned in and whispered to Eryn. She rolled her eyes with a playful grin. She pushed his shoulder as he loomed over her, giving a sigh of mock-annoyance.

“Quit reading my mind Zahn, it’s rude.” The Elite laughed, closing his eyes as he did. Eryn hid her yawn; she could feel sleep creeping up her bones and into her blood. The warmth was making her even more drowsy. Despite her efforts, Zahn still noticed the tell-tale human sign of exhaustion. He quieted down and adjusted his body so that Eryn had something to lean against.

With her back against Zahn’s side, Eryn could see Kygar and Mavi through eyes heavy with sleep. They spoke quietly, with voices like distant thunder, of things only they would understand. Every now and then, from her position of being curled against Zahn, she could feel him reply in deep thrums of air. In even rarer instances, she could hear Ebon speak; his voice coming in waves of soothing tones that made Eryn’s skin shiver with goosebumps.

It was at the third hour after the Elites’ arrival that Eryn began to feel sleep pull her from her awareness. She had noticed, that in the course of only a few moments in time, her life had changed so drastically in so many ways. Despite her past encounters with the Sangheili race, Eryn wanted to see the good in them. The violence that had befallen her before, befallen her fledgling colony world, couldn’t be a common theme, could it? Eryn absentmindedly traced the scar over her heart, the skin that bubbled and rippled as evidence of the cruelty she’d witnessed at the hands of the Sangheili.

They couldn’t all be as cruel, _could they?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! I wanna hear it! So we've (hopefully) read all of the tags by now, so we know there's gonna be a budding relationship between Eryn and one lucky Sangheili!
> 
> So I wanna know... 
> 
> Which Elite do you think Eryn is going to fall for???


	8. Protective Penchants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ho, boy... This is a long one. It's nearly 6500 words!!! I hope you guys enjoy it! 
> 
> P.S. Thanks for your patience!

Eryn’s eyes flickered open, the bright blues shining through the dim space only to register the light and snap shut. Still groggy with a long night’s sleep, the woman could only take in a small degree of her surroundings as she faded in and out of her hazy consciousness. The sleepy woman could hear the familiar, quiet patter of rain on the tent overhead, which was slightly lighter than usual. She also noticed that there was a warmth that filled the air within the tent; it was a living, bodily warmth that had collected over the course of the night and enveloped her like a blanket.

Eryn made a soft groaning noise as she nuzzled herself closer to the nearest source of warmth. Somewhere in the distance, or perhaps slightly closer, she heard a soft sound like a laugh, but the most she was concerned with was the thick warmth draped over her body. Eryn was extremely thankful, even in this clouded, drowsy state, that she had something warm and comfortable to rest against. She let out a content sigh as she felt her body begin to slip back into sleep. Just as her eyes closed, just as her heart slowed and her breathing evened out, Eryn was nudged by the very warmth that lulled her into unconsciousness.

“You must really enjoy sleeping, Eryn.” The voice was playful and light, much like something you’d hear from a childhood friend. The woman could only groan softly in response, which elicited another chuckle from the deep-blue Zealot. She could feel the laughter reverberate through his body and in turn run through her own.

He nudged her again, this time with a little more force, yet endlessly gentle. The woman’s eyes peeked open once more and she made an annoyed groan at being woken up. She glanced up and blinked slowly, greeted by the warm red-amber of Zahn’s eyes. Eryn couldn’t help but give a soft smile at how odd the whole situation was, at how kindly this Zealot’s eyes were, at how comfortable she was.

_It’s like I’ve known them for ages…_

Eryn blinked once more and attempted to roll over and slip back into a quiet slumber, but Zahn was quick to lock her into place with his arm. The woman made a whining noise of defeat and slumped against his body, her head at the joining of his shoulder and chest. He gave a soft snort at the woman, stirring her raven-colored hair. Eryn grumbled and opened her eyes, the light forcing them into a squint as they adjusted. It was then that she registered how she was leaning against Zahn, curled up quite snuggly to his armored body. The Elite, in noticing how the human had adjusted her body as she slept alongside him, had long since abandoned any sense of personal space over the night. He had even gone so far as to drape his arm over her, his body lined up with hers as comfortably as could be managed given their size difference. Seeing as how the human seemed so relaxed by him, he had allowed himself to become comfortable as well.

Eryn was slightly embarrassed as the images of their sleeping forms entered her mind, her cheeks flushing to a pale pink as the warmth tingled under her skin. In an attempt to hide her blush and avoid the inevitable conversation the Zealot would try to start about her sleeping habits, Eryn buried her face in his side.

_I can’t believe I fell asleep so easily…_

“It’s time to wake up, Eryn. I can hear the other humans stirring as well.” Zahn repeated his wake-up call, nudging the woman again with the arm he had by her side. He leaned closer to her face; she could feel his breath over her skin and she shivered as he spoke.

“Wake up,” Zahn called again, shaking Eryn’s shoulders ever-so-lightly. Eryn pawed his hand away and sat up, stifling a long yawn. She lazily rubbed the sleep from her eyes with a soft groan as she felt the sleep begin to fade away. The woman pulled her legs up to her chest and crossed her arms over them. Her body was still in contact with Zahn’s for the most part; she had her back propped up against his side.

“I’m up. I’m up.” Eryn muttered with a gleam as she cast a tired glance at Zahn. He rumbled something quietly under his breath and gave Eryn a playful snort.

“How tired you must be, to sleep so much.” Zahn commented lightly. Eryn stretched out her arms and gave him a sarcastic roll of the eyes.

“I sleep until I wake up. If that happens to take more than eight hours, so be it.” Her tone was matter-of-factly, and she made no attempt to hide her sarcasm. Zahn merely blinked at her response.

“ _Eight_ hours? You mean to tell me that humans sleep for eight hours _straight_?” The Zealot could not hide the utter surprise in his tone. His voice was loud enough to catch Mavi’s attention. The Ultra raised his head and the dim glow of his eye-coverings grew brighter with his awareness.

“You must remember we are not the same species as Eryn, Zahn. There are bound to be many differences between us.” Mavi’s tone was full of a drowsy mirth towards the younger Sangheili. Without pause for thought, the Ultra quickly dipped his head to Eryn. “Good morning, Eryn.”

“Good morning, Mavi.” Eryn blinked gratefully at the pale orange warrior, surprised by his human greeting, and she called out a return from her spot between Zahn and Kygar, the first of which hadn’t seemed to notice how Mavi had greeted Eryn at all.

“But _eight hours_?” Zahn muttered to himself under his breath, bewildered. Eryn stifled a soft laugh as her eyes drifted over to the other two Elites who had been engrossed in a quiet conversation.

Kygar and Ebon’s subtle tones had been silenced by Zahn’s exuberant outburst and the two of them had turned their eyes to catch sight of the now woken woman whose softened blue eyes were lazily passing over them. When she looked off to her left, Eryn’s eyes absorbed the darkened emerald color of Kygar’s armor. Her eyes shifted to his helmet and she raised her head.

Kygar was first to dip his domed head to her in a silent greeting. Ebon, on the other hand, dipped his head and rumbled out a quiet greeting in Sangheili, his tone reverberating through the warm air. Eryn felt shivers crawl down her spine at the sound of his voice. She was quick to return their greetings with a smile and a dip of her head as well, before Mavi’s voice pulled everyone back to the previous issue of human sleeping patterns.

“If you think her sleeping patterns are strange, can you imagine what she would think of ours?” Mavi questioned with a tilt of his armored head, his eye-coverings flickering in the dim light.

“We sleep for a period of three to four hours at most, at least twice a day, instead of all at once as she does.” Mavi finished with a soft huff as Zahn’s jaws parted as if to speak, but he remained silent.

Eryn blinked at Mavi as she thought with a smile to herself; it seemed to her that, like Kygar, he was a voice of reason for the group. He always appeared to be so collected and calm, and Eryn couldn’t help but see Mavi as some kind of parental figure, even for the older Sangheili amongst them. The way the Ultra always had some sort of wisdom to spread about only reinforced Eryn’s fatherly perception of Mavi. It made her smile even brighter.

“Did you all sleep well?” Eryn asked quickly, before she lost everyone’s attention to what they were doing previously, or to the developing sleeping issue. With a stifled yawn, she straightened out her back and could hear the dull clicking of her bones as she stretched.

“Well enough.” Mavi answered with a pleasant tone as he turned back to Eryn, armored face as passive as ever. His voice however, which rumbled like an age-old waterfall, deep and thrumming through the hazy morning air, gave away his concealed emotions. The woman could hear the tiredness in his voice, at least that’s what she assumed it was, and gave him a warm, now familiar smile. The rumbling in his body was something that she would have equated to a purr, which echoed from his chest.

“The storm was a nuisance,” Zahn muttered with growl from his place beside Eryn. Kygar responded to Zahn’s thoughts with a low grumble of laughter as his domed glass gaze passively swept over the others. The Zealot huffed quietly about how much he disliked inclement weather, only fueling Kygar’s laughter.

“I’m sure that, given time, you’ll get used to the sounds of a storm,” Eryn commented with confidence as she leaned over to Zahn and gave him a comforting pat on the arm. “I know I did.”

“The rain was a _comfort_ to listen to, Zahn.” Ebon rumbled from his corner, his golden eyes gleaming with the hint of a tease as he spoke. “I would think you’d prefer it to the silence of space.”

Zahn grunted noncommittedly and turned away. Ebon let out his own rolling laugh at Zahn’s childish reaction. From Eryn’s side, only a few seconds has passed before she heard him make a low grunting noise; he cocked his head as if he were looking outside the tent and crossed his arms over his chest. When Eryn casted him an odd look, she could see how a seriousness had crept into his normally pleasant features. The Zealot looked down at her and she could see his features lighten considerably, yet still holding a less-kindly look.

“You companions are searching for you,” Zahn muttered with a dull tone. “I would suspect one of them will be here soon.”

Eryn made a low growl of her own; she wiped what sleep still remained in her eyes and quickly rose to her feet. The laughter had died away and the warm, comforting atmosphere within the tent had dissipated at Zahn’s dry statement. Cursing her fellow soldiers under her breath, she made her way out of the tent but stopped right before she exited completely and turned to face the four alien faces that stared back at her. She could feel the gentle patter of rain on her clothing.

“I’m gonna open up the tent so people don’t start any rumors… or anything.” Eryn spoke quickly, kind of embarrassed that she’d had to apologize for such a ridiculous thing, and she grabbed a flap to begin rolling it up. She’d have to pin the two flaps to the top of the tent frame, but with the rain, the fabric was a tad slippery.

 _Why do people have to be so stupid?_ Eryn groaned as she stood to her full height, a meager five feet and three inches, as she pulled up the flap nearest her. The rising sun was now directly in her face, peeking through the thinning rain clouds, and it left the medic squinting, but her eyes quickly adjusted to the brightness. Barely a moment later, there was a rustle of to her right. Turning her head, she watched as the jet-black and gold Marshall rose out of the tent and took a few steps forward. Compared to the other Elites, Ebon was certainly larger than both Mavi and Zahn, but not Kygar, who Eryn guessed was somewhere around eight-and-a-half feet tall. Ebon’s form was predatory, yet the colors of his armor gave him an appeal of a regal prowess that exuded intelligence and cunning. As if the warrior could feel the human’s eyes on him, he turned to Eryn and locked the harsh, metallic gold of his eyes to the clear blue of hers. He stepped closer to her and stood by her side, reaching up with foreign hands to hold the flap while Eryn secured it in place. From the corner of her eyes, Eryn could just see small droplets of rain collecting on the Sangheili’s armor, glinting in the rising light.

 _Ebon truly is an enigma…_ Eryn thought for a moment; she inhaled the dewy morning air and just realized she had been holding her breath ever since Ebon had stepped out. Collecting herself, Eryn focused on the task at hand.

The Marshall helped Eryn to roll up the thick canvas of the other flap, once again holding the weighty material while the woman attempted to secure it properly. Her fingers were deft, as it came with being in the medical field, but they were still stiff with sleep and the rain water was no help. So focused on her task at hand, Eryn had not noticed how close the Sangheili had shifted towards her, nor when he began to speak. She froze, her hands flinching for a fraction of a second before she regained herself.

“People will make lies and spread rumors regardless of whether they witness the truth, Eryn. It is the nature of such little minds to fear and hate without question.” His voice was a soothing purr that rolled over the woman like curling waves. The sounds of his speech, the tones, were a surprisingly gentle rumble that rippled over her skin like sunlight and warmed her; they left her with a pleasant tingle under her skin. His words were laden with the sensations of both honesty and anger as he addressed her; Eryn had to gather herself before she melted completely.

“That doesn’t make it okay.” Eryn spoke softly, allowing her voice to creep along the same tones as Ebon’s. The Marshall made a deep echo of a growl in chest and released the now-secured flap he was holding.

“No. It doesn’t.” His voice did not waver or lighten with his admission; he knew what the weight in the woman’s tone was, knew how much she would struggle to protect not only him, but his fellow warriors as well. It _amazed_ him, really.

“If I can do anything to prevent their cruelty towards you, I will.” Eryn stated before Ebon could continue. Her eyes had hardened, like frozen jewels, and her voice was tempered with devotion as she turned to face the Marshall. Even though her eyes were like ice, he noted how they burned with passion.

“Even if it comes at a personal cost, Eryn? Surely you do not think us that _important_?” Ebon was surprised by how vehemently she offered to defend them. It was strange to see someone who was, at one point, an enemy he would’ve have so readily slaughtered defend him with such poignant fury. Ebon tilted his head ever so slightly, utterly astounded by the human.

“I would-” The woman paused and then gave him a soft smile. “-and I already have.”

“Eryn,” The Sangheili noticed how easily her name slipped from his jaws; an odd shiver passed over his spine each time he said it. “You-”

“I don’t want the others to speak badly of you, Ebon.” Eryn’s voice cut down Ebon’s rising thoughts before he could verbalize them; he probably would’ve fumbled his words anyway with how Eryn had just said his name and all. It had sounded so _natural_ on her lips. He was thankful he had kept his jaws shut, silently pleading that she would say his name again.

Eryn stepped back, just now realizing how close she was standing to Ebon. When she looked back up at his towering form, she could’ve sworn she’d seen Ebon’s hardened eyes ripple with emotion; they filled with a kind of amusement, but one that was greatly appreciated. The Marshall chuckled lightly and stepped out from the front of the tent.

“You act as a shield, but in reality… you are a _sword_ ,” Ebon paused to meet her eyes with his own, the harsh gold now melting into pools of honey, his voice dropping down to a low purr as he continued. “You defend us, much like a shield, but not only do you keep the problems at bay, but seek to rid us of them entirely.”

Eryn’s lips parted to speak, perhaps a question or protest, but Ebon hushed her with a soft laugh. The woman would’ve collapsed from the sound of it right then and there if hadn’t been for the voice reaching through the trees. It was distinctly human, calling her name from across the clearing. Eryn turned to see who it was that had called her, and with a heaving sigh of disappointment and aggravation, realized it was none other than one _Jason Dublith._

 _Great._ Her attitude dropped immediately, the sour feeling penetrating the warmth of Ebon’s words. There was no human on this planet, or any other planet, that made her feel less comfortable, less safe, or more de-humanized than he did. In every instance of their working together within a unit, the man always found a way to exact his dominance over her, to force her to submit to whatever odds-and-ends task he’d given her. There was the occasional bout were Eryn would have to report the harassment to the higher-ups, but it never amounted to anything. They’d be separated from each other briefly, but somehow they’d always end up back in the same unit. By then, people could tell Dublith was a constant thorn in Eryn’s side, so people did what they could to keep him off her back. Too bad the man was too stubborn to catch the many, _many_ hints people were dropping. It was only lately that the man had become more physical; Ross himself had to warn Dublith about the repercussions of sexual harassment.

With a pained sigh, the woman went to take a step and get the whole thing over and done with, to go ahead and get her share of daily humiliation, but was stopped. Eryn felt Ebon’s armored head press closely to hers, one hand placed lightly on her shoulder to hold her in place. She looked up with a hint of surprise and saw his dark face looming over hers, his eyes locked onto her and filled with a depth of warm amber-golds unlike anything she’d seen before.

“This human… you’re not overly _fond_ of him, are you?” Ebon asked slowly; he felt as if he already knew the answer, but he did not want to seem excessively observant. There was a marked hesitation in his speech, but only because he thought he might be assuming too much. He blinked slowly as he waited for her response.

“I wish I’d never met him.” Eryn spoke quietly; the sound of defeat and remorse creeping into her voice. Ebon felt her shiver under his hand as she continued. “He makes me… _uneasy_.”

The Sangheili responded with a light snort of understanding, a huff of warm air that passed over Eryn’s head to stir the raven strands. He felt her body tense back up as her eyes followed Dublith’s over-confident strides as he approached them. Ebon brought his memories of his first unpleasant encounter with Dublith and the first moment he’d seen Dublith and Eryn interact. Just from that, he could see that the humans did not share a common atmosphere, nor did they share an attraction. From what Ebon could tell, hindered only by his limited knowledge of human societal practices, the man Dublith desired Eryn in a way that the female very obviously did _not_ reciprocate. The human male was excessively persistent in trying to obtain his one-sided desire, while Eryn had been adamant in her resistance to the point of feeling uncomfortable around the male. It only took Ebon a few hours to pick up on all this, so it unsettled him that a problem so apparent to other humans had not been resolved.

 _Perhaps it is commonplace for such a practice?_ Ebon rattled his mind. _How could it be? Eryn is truly unsettled by the male; I doubt she would feel any kind of comradery, much less affection, for him._

Letting his eyes fall on Eryn, the Sangheili let out a low rumble of comfort. He knew that this human had to be extremely tired of watching her back, of being defensive and tense whenever Dublith was around. _It’s sickening_ , Ebon snorted overhead.

The woman before him, visibly aggravated, was taking deep breaths in a vain effort to steady herself; her welcoming attitude was slipping away as unease and stress took its place. Ebon could see how easily the man shook her, how easily the man disheveled whatever composure she had upon his appearance. He was also surprised by how easily she had put on a brave face to try and dissuade the man.

 _How often does she need to do this? How often does she have to hide herself behind the façade of a stone-faced woman?_ Ebon could see a great injustice before him. He knew that Eryn did everything within her power to protect him and his brothers, so would do the same for her. Stepping closer to the woman’s body, his grip on her began a bit firmer.

_If Eryn is to be my sword, then I shall be her shield._

“If you do not feel comfortable interacting with him, I will remain by your side until he’s gone.” Leaning his head down in a similar fashion to what Zahn was keen on doing, Ebon murmured quietly into Eryn’s ear. The woman turned her surprised eyes on him, startled by his offer.

“You don’t have to do that; I can handle him, Ebon.” She stumbled on her words, but her façade did not crack. Despite this, Ebon lifted his head with a disbelieving gaze, not moving an inch as the woman tried to reassure him.

“I do not mean to offend you, or belittle your capabilities,” He said with a soft voice; it was nearly a whisper. “I mean only to offer my presence, should you need it.”

Eryn blinked and lowered her eyes with a thoughtful expression, her face tight. The woman decided she didn’t need to reply verbally, as she made her gratitude known by pressing close to the Sangheili. Ebon felt her back into his body, allowing herself to get as close to him as she possibly could. The Sangheili couldn’t stifle the purr that rose in his chest from the contact, but he wasn’t bothering to try to anyways. The amount of trust this human was placing him was truly astounding, comforting, even. It was surprising to him that Eryn’s companions did not place her in a higher regard. With a slightly proud huff, Ebon nudged his head into the side of Eryn’s, careful of his helm-crest, and rumbled out a soft purr.

“As long as I stand behind you, Eryn, nothing will dare to harm you.” Ebon’s voice echoed through the human woman’s bones and he felt her body slacken against his own. She was calming down.

“Thank you, Ebon,” The woman’s voice shook slightly; the Sangheili could feel her reach up and rest her hand on his; he was surprised by the contact, but did not discourage it. Instead, Ebon lowered his armored head until his lower jaws rested on the top of Eryn’s black hair. He purred again.

“No thanks are needed, Eryn,” He huffed a gust of warm air over her head and saw the tiniest hint of a smile form on her lips. So, the massive alien settled behind Eryn, offering his shadow to Eryn to hide in if Dublith got too confrontational.

By this time, the other three Elites had heard the human soldier calling for Eryn and wondered what all the commotion was about. When they peeked out their armored heads, they had been surprised to see Eryn visually disturbed simply by the sight of the man, Dublith, and had seen how readily she had attempted to hide within the Marshall’s proffered bulk. Mavi had not been startled in the least to see the Marshall behaving in such a way towards the much smaller human; the Ultra knew that under Ebon’s cold and ruthless exterior, there was a gentle giant with a penchant for protecting those that needed it. That was why Mavi had been so keen on serving in the Marshall’s unit.

The orange Ultra was the first to rise to feet and hover on his own, off to Ebon’s right; Kygar and Zahn filled in behind with curious glances casted at Ebon’s back. While they too had served in Ebon’s unit, they had not known of him as Mavi had. To those two, Ebon was a calculating and cunning fighter who had quite the intellect and was quick to apply it. Only after working in tandem with the Marshall over some time did the two discover his kindhearted tendencies. To see Ebon looming over Eryn with a protective gleam in his eyes and a firm grip of reassurance on her shoulder, they immediately recognized the scene.

The Ranger, Kygar, with his emerald armor blazing in the sun’s rays, growled like a thunderstorm had risen in his throat. He stood off to Ebon’s left, closer than Mavi was, when he saw the source of Eryn’s state of apprehension: _Dublith_ was striding across the clearing. Kygar had not forgotten how utterly _rude_ this human was, nor was he going to. The growl in his throat only grew louder as the human man approached them. Zahn and Mavi, however, were silent in their places by Ebon; they cast worried glances about the group. They were not worried for Eryn, however, as they knew full well Ebon would be there to protect her. It was Dublith they were worried for. While they couldn’t care less about the man’s wellbeing, they were worried what Ebon might do if the man strayed too close to Eryn, who was now standing flush against Ebon. The woman was completely enveloped in his form, using his impressive appearance to try and deter Dublith from trying anything with her.

“What a way to start day,” Kygar muttered between growls of blatant aggression. Zahn seconded his thoughts with a long string of curses in Sangheili.

Once Dublith spotted the crowd of tense Elites standing around miss O’Malley; he faltered. He could one Elite was physically pressed against her, looming over the small woman with a terrible look in its stony eyes. One of its hands was gripping Eryn’s shoulder in a vice. He wondered why she was wasn’t struggling or fighting back. Dublith smirked as he continued to walk closer. _I guess I get to be the knight in shining armor, huh? I told her those Covies were up to no good._

Dublith halted once he was about a good ten feet away from the crowd. Everyone there knew well enough that ten feet wasn’t a safe distance from a hostile Sangheili, but Dublith refused to come any closer. If he stood any farther away, however, he was sure they’d think he was afraid of them. The man couldn’t have that. With a grunt, he held out an arm and waved for Eryn to come over, his face straight; he was compelling himself to look authoritative to try and compel the foolish woman to listen.

“Come on, Eryn.” The man offered no explanation as to why the medic had to leave, so Eryn merely crossed her arms and frowned at him, not moving in the slightest. If anything, she leaned into the Sangheili behind her even more.

“No.” Her brows were furrowed; she was willing the man to go away, to leave her be. She knew, deep inside, that if she weren’t currently surrounded by four massive alien soldiers, she wouldn’t have refused so quickly or so confidently. However, Eryn could feel Ebon’s deep breathing behind her; the rhythmic sound, steady and unwavering, made it easier for her to relax a bit as she tried to focus solely on Ebon’s presence. Eryn was also fairly sure that the ODST wouldn’t try anything if the Sangheili remained in contact with her, or at least in her immediate vicinity.

“Eryn, don’t be so _stubborn_. Come on. We’ve got things to do back at camp.” He waved his hand again, taking a few brave steps closer. If their time together proved anything, Dublith knew she’d cave sooner or later, he just had to keep pressing on her nerves. Eryn, at least to Dublith, was particularly weak-willed; he would be her guardian, he would keep a watchful eye on her. Dublith sent her a pleasant smile and pleaded further.

“You’re needed at your… _tent_.” He faltered, choked on the last word. He stopped dead when he realized why she was needed, why she hadn’t been there already: she must’ve been here all night. That why he hadn’t been able to find her in camp. She wasn’t in her own tent, nor had she been in the medical tent. She had to have been _here._ With the _Elites._

_All._

_Night._

_Long._

With a shocked groan of disbelief, Dublith’s face mutated into a sneer of anger and disgust as he felt his stomach turn over. Eryn figured out why he’d make such an expression immediately, but she offered him nothing to try and expel such an idea, nor to offer an apology. Her body seemed much steadier now, much warmer. Eryn cast a thankful look to Ebon, who merely nudged her head again with a low rumble in his chest. She smiled.

“Did you… _sleep_ … in the same tent as _them_?” He said the word _sleep_ like it was a curse word, like it burned his tongue to say it, like it tasted like poison.

“Yes,” Eryn said plainly. “Is there a problem, Dublith?” She uncrossed her arms and cocked her body into a rather sarcastic pose, her hands now on her hips. She watched the man’s face sour even farther than it had before. He looked as if he wanted to speak, his face reddening like a tomato in anger, but instead he took a few more cautious steps towards Eryn. He was only five feet away when he asked Eryn once more to come with him back to the main camp.

“Well… The captain needs to speak with you,” He uttered half-heartedly; the ODST’s proximity to the alien soldiers was beginning to unnerve him; he had to find an excuse Eryn would believe so he could get her away from the Covies. “So you better come on before you get yourself in trouble.”

“I’ll take my chances.” With a roll of her eyes, the medic huffed in annoyance. She knew the captain well enough that he’d more than likely find her himself if it was something truly important. Ross had never been one for using a messenger or middle-man unless he was desperate. There was too much that could be lost in translation. It was that knowledge that spurred Eryn to respond; she had started to grow more confident in herself, especially since she had Ebon’s might to back her up.

“Besides, if the captain needs me that much, he’ll come and get me himself.” Eryn added with a harsh glare. She felt Ebon rumble behind her as he lowered his head to rest upon her shoulder to replace his hand; he was mimicking Zahn’s favorite sign of proximity and comfort. She had to bury the smile that rose on her features. She couldn’t look _too_ pleased with herself.

Dublith, on the other hand, had buried the rising fury in his chest as he sighed with exasperation; he was shocked to see how casual she was behaving with those squid-faces. She was completely fine with touching one, with letting it rest its fat head on her shoulder. It was abhorrent. The aggravation and disgust was obvious on his features, he knew it. Dublith closed the distance in a few long strides, summoning what was left of his drained bravado in a final attempt to get the woman under control. Eryn could see how his eyes darted from Elite to Elite with nervousness, flickering in fear of an attack as he neared her.

“Let’s _go_ , Eryn.” The man reached forward quickly, causing Eryn to flinch backwards on instinct. The moment Dublith’s gloved hand wrapped around Eryn’s wrist, Ebon snapped. Having displayed no obvious signs of aggression, the Sangheili let loose a furious growl unlike anything Eryn had ever heard from any of the Elites before. It was very low and deep and it shook her like the world was crumbling under her feet. Ebon’s armored body formed a looming threat of protection as he stood behind the woman; he let his head fall forward, jaws parted in a snarl, and his arms come away from him to hang loosely by Eryn’s sides. For a moment, even Eryn was a little shaken by the sound, but when she connected that the aggressive display was in her defense, she nearly blushed in a rush of mixed emotions.

Dublith lurched back like he’d been bitten; his eyes conveyed both fear and a deep-set hatred for the Sangheili before him. He cursed under his breath, but with his poor luck, the Elites had very advanced hearing and picked up every vulgar word that left his dirty lips. When Dublith’s flickering eyes rose and met Ebon’s burning ones, the human once more reached for Eryn. He stopped when another growl rose in Ebon’s chest and the Sangheili wrapped one arm around Eryn’s torso, across her belly. She was pulled flush against Ebon and could feel the growl as it rattled though his chest.

“Don’t you touch her like that, you brute!” Dublith was quick to shout at Ebon, but the Sangheili only growled in response. His grip on Eryn was not tight, but the man couldn’t see that.

“ _Don’t touch me_?” Eryn called over the growl bubbling behind her. “You’ve got some nerve telling him not to touch me.”

“This dumb brute doesn’t have the right. I do!”

“Do you, now?” She spat, her anger replacing her fear. Breaking out of Ebon’s hold, she charged the man and pushed his chest roughly. “I’d much rather be touched by Ebon than by you!”

Dublith balked, stunned by her words. He could only watch with a writhing fear as the black Sangheili resumed his looming over Eryn, growl hovering in his throat. The other three Elites looked just as unfriendly and unhappy, their bodies in a more hostile position.

“Leave, _Dublith_.” Ebon spat out the man’s name in a harsh tone as he spoke. The Elite crept ever closer to Eryn, who was fuming now. The whole scene was a mix of anger and relief, along with shock.

“I would suggest you leave Eryn alone from now on, as well.” Mavi added from his spot behind Ebon, his voice like crashing waves. “You have a habit of making her feel… unsafe.”

Dublith looked shocked, startled, mildly crazed, and extremely pissed off. His skin turned so red he looked sunburnt. He raised a finger in an accusatory manner and pointed it at solely at Eryn. It didn’t have the desired effect, as just as he opened his mouth to speak, and most likely curse at the five of them, he was stopped by another voice from across the clearing.

“I hope you’re not causing a fuss over there, Sergeant. It’d probably won’t end very well for you.” The voice was low and threatening, like the sight of pistol pointed your way.

Eryn cast her burning blue eyes over the clearing and sighed with relief, some of the heat leaving her face. It was none other than Captain Ross, a level-headed and fair man. The older human crossed the clearing and came to stand next to a blabbering Dublith, facing Eryn and the Elites. He looked almost unsurprised, as if he knew what the whole situation was about and didn’t care for an explanation.

“Sleep well, Eryn?” He asked with a thin smile. Eryn nodded and felt her own features softening on her face. Dublith looked blown away.

“Captain…” Dublith started, “She… She _slept_ …”

“I know. I’m not stupid. Anyone could’ve put that together, given how protective she is of them.” Ross stated plainly, casting a wink at Eryn. “She can’t watch them from her tent on the other side of the clearing, now can she?”

Dublith had run out of words. His mouth simply hung agape. Ross, however, had turned to address the group of five in front of him. The Elites had calmed down considerably, but Ebon had not eased off his protective stance around Eryn. Zahn had come to stand next to Eryn as well, patting her on the shoulder in a reassuring way.

“Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Ross started, adjusting the cap on his head and clearing his throat, “but thanks to all of that rain last night, the river about half-a-mile east of us has broken its banks.”

Eryn shifted on her feet, clearly anxious as the captain changed gears quite suddenly. She felt the Marshall rumble behind her and lower his jaws to touch ever so lightly on the back of her head; she thought for a moment she could hear the pulse in his chest directly behind her, but shifted her eyes upward to meet Ebon’s eyes. Even now, the Sangheili could sense her apprehension and offered her comfort, his presence certainly influenced her emotional state. Eryn, in response, pressed her back into Ebon’s chest. She felt his rumbling purr intensify.

“So we’re moving the camp, aren’t we?” Eryn asked; she was obviously worried. This planet was extremely flat in this particular region, so a flash flood, or a flood of any kind really, was a serious problem. She wondered briefly if the Sangheili knew how to swim. _I’ll ask them later._

“You got it, missy. We’re about done packing up now; we’ll be heading directly north, towards the mountains a couple miles from here. Hopefully the steady rise in the landscape’s incline will keep us in the clear.” Ross added, pointing at a range of pearly gray peaks in the distance. Eryn followed his line of sight, as did Mavi and Kygar.

“When do we leave?” Eryn asked, seriousness creeping into her voice. It was time to get down to business. Ross met her eyes and grinned; he was fully aware of her dedication to safety, both for her sake and others.

His grizzled voice uttered only one short word.

“Now.”


	9. Talk of Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I forget to mention that this chapter is long? Nearly 6500 words!

The deep jungle-forest hadn’t changed in its density or brightness in the long day of westward travel, closer and closer to the pearlescent peaks in the distance. The thick canopy hadn’t thinned out in the slightest, but had allowed only a small portion of blessed sunlight to pass through and warm the soaked earth. The weary travelers below the canopy of darkened boughs and branches cursed the unending darkness under the trees, especially during the dawn and dusk, when light was even scarcer before the pitch-thick hours of night. Coupled with the increasing amount of cold river water soaking up through the soles of their boots and pants, the traveling troop of soldiers shook with the rising chill and the fear of being swept away by a rampaging river.

The weather wasn’t helping much either, as it was still storming during the night as well. The UNSC troops grumbled and griped all the night long; being forced to trundle through a pitch-black forest filled with muddy holes and pelted by cold rain made them less than pleasant people. They knew that with the added rainwater, they had no hope of outpacing the gushing river and it forced them to keep walking. The effects of the eastward river, now with broken banks, could be seen with every step they took. Bolstered by the storm overhead, the dirt and earth had been drenched to its saturation point due to the river overflowing and continuous rain. A rising layer of water had formed over the earth in the dark hours of the night.

As the soldiers marched through the expansive and ever-growing puddles, a few remembered how dangerous the mud could be. They measured their steps, avoiding areas where a murky film of water betrayed the depth of the hole. Closer to the river, when the Captain had first gone to check its status after the previous night’s torrential downpour, he’d found one of his soldiers nearly sunken into the murky earth; he’d been soaked by muddy water from the swollen river. The soldier been there since the early morning, as he’d not told anyone he’d gone down to the riverbank for God-knows whatever reason. The man wasn’t too bad off, besides the obvious risk of hypothermia, but he was knee-deep in muck and waist deep in water. It took two soldiers and a length of slippery rope to finally pull him free. Of course, deeper into the forest this kind of problem would be less prominent since the roots of vegetation would help to stabilize the dirt and deeper earth.

All of this, along with the landscape’s generally flat terrain, made for a perfect and perilous place for _flash-flooding_. The soldiers listened to the sound of water with a tremble of anticipation for a flood. The walked, casting their soggy eyes back behind them, wary of an earth-brown wave rolling low over the ground. That thought, along the with the dream of dry ground and sunlight, pushed them onward through the undergrowth.

Captain Ross had made sure to explain to his soldiers that walking in the deep, squished tracks of another person wasn’t the best idea, as one soldier nearly lost his boots in the tracks of the soldier before him. Soldiers weaved like ants through the forest after that; they decided to forego trekking through the dripping jungle in formation in favor or blazing their own, safer trails, watching where they put their feet and grasping at trees and bushes for stabilization. The troops managed to keep in contact by occasionally flashing their lights and checking comms. Most travelled in pairs, a sort of buddy-system, to keep an eye on each other’s safety. Nobody got accidently stuck in the mud and left behind.

Eryn found herself towards the back of the group, following the flashes of white light through the darkness. The woman could hear the ODSTs ahead of her grumbling in annoyance at the rain, cursing its continuance. She sympathized; Eryn felt soaked to the bone. With each step she took, her boots became even more water-logged. She knew well enough that if they didn’t dry ground soon, a lot of her fellow soldiers would be out with trench foot. Even with humanity’s advancements in science and medicine, there were some things you just couldn’t change. Problems from prolonged immersion of the feet in damp and dirty environments was one of them.

Turning her head to look over her shoulder, she could see the dim lights of the Sangheilis’ armor behind her. In the darkness of the jungle, drenched in mud and rainwater, the quartet of aliens found themselves traveling with UNSC troops. She knew it was only a temporary arrangement that would see them off-world and sent back to wherever it was they needed to go, but she couldn’t help but feel a little sad at the thought of them leaving. She rather liked them. Eryn blinked and turned her damp blue eyes forward, focusing on the flickers of light ahead of her. It reminded her of the fireflies back on Earth and she smiled at the thought. Her comms flickered to life; it was a call from the Captain. He was doing routine roll calls, making sure everyone was still following along.

“O’Malley?” His grizzled voice sounded even more wrinkled with the static. She gripped the receiver and replied.

“I’m here, Captain.” She spoke over the rain. “I’m following.”

“And company?” He asked after a rush of blank noise.

“Accounted for.” Eryn replied quickly. “They’re with me.”

“Good.” He muttered through the comms. “Keep watch, O’Malley.”

“Yes, sir.” She knew the drill; a basic safety routine. She was towards the back, so she might as well keep an eye out for danger that might be coming from the rear. The Captain signed off, telling her to stay alert and ready to respond. Eryn sighed internally, legs moving by muscle memory alone, mood effectively dampened by the weather. They marched for about another two hours, listening only to the storm and their own breathing, when another call went out.

 _It’s too early for another roll call,_ Eryn thought suspiciously. She listened for the news, ready to move at the first sign of trouble. _Maybe there was an injury?_

“All squads, listen up,” Captain Ross’s voice groaned through the static. Eryn’s skin prickled as she focused on the voice. An all-encompassing voice either means something very good, or very bad.

“We’ve found high ground.” Came the groaning voice; you could hear the relief and exhaustion even through the static. Eryn’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest at the thought of being able to sit, to be able to _sleep._ “Repeat, we’ve found _high ground_.”

Eryn stopped in her tracks, looking ahead of her to try and figure out where Ross and his squad were located. She felt the Sangheili slow behind her, clustering by her like an alien shadow, with Kygar bringing up the rear. They followed her searching gaze with their own; Zahn moved forward with soft steps and murmured quietly to Eryn.

“Have you forgotten how to walk, Eryn?” His voice was kind, yet drenched in playfulness, as he nudged her shoulder. The woman scoffed and crossed her arms; Zahn looked at her with a grin, mimicking her pose. She wondered how he could still be even mildly comfortable, much less pleasant, in all this rain.

“No,” Eryn responded with a small smile as her eyes scanned ahead again. Suddenly a bright red flare shot up into the canopy, leaving a burning trail of smoky light behind it. In the inky night, it might as well have been the sun with how bright it seemed. “I was waiting for that.”

Zahn made a low, pleased rumbling sound in his chest, which Eryn was beginning to recognize as a chuckle, and then he nodded. He said something in Sangheili and waited for the other three to make comments back. Kygar made a groaning noise deep in his throat and waved off Zahn’s comment. If Eryn could have seen his eyes, she would’ve sworn he rolled them.

“Head for the flare, everyone.” A voice beamed over the comms in a flash of static. It sounded like Captain Ross, but one couldn’t be sure due to the excessive noise rising from the excited troops dispersed through the forest. Mutters of relief had filled the damp air. The woman couldn’t help but feel relieved too.

Eryn, followed by the four Sangheili, headed in the general direction of the flare. The smoke lingered in the air, even though it had been pierced by bullets of rain. Even with the storm, the air was mostly still; this was probably because the storm was at a different intensity on the underside of the sky-high canopy. After another half-hour of labored walking, Eryn began to find her footing had become more stable and less squishy. The ground had been to rise up and out of the belly of the forest. Eryn began to feel her heart rise with the earth; each step up was a step closer to her being able to sit down and rest. She could hear one of the Sangheili, probably Kygar, mumbling about the mud and rain and how much he missed the sun. Eryn smiled as she continued to climb up the ever-steeper slope. _Me too, Kygar. Me too._

As they started to walk farther up the slope, which now was becoming more stone than dirt, the woman noticed more and more soldiers emerging from the undergrowth. Eryn walked a bit slower, making sure to stay close to the aliens following after her. They could sense what she was doing and merely made room for her to walk abreast, keeping pace with her. Ebon walked on her left side, while Kygar was behind him. Mavi and Zahn followed directly behind the woman, keeping an eye on the other soldiers. The soldiers likewise threw curious, angry, and even blank glances their way. Eryn, however, could see the eyes scanning the scene for even the slightest reason to assume hostility. Eryn went about her way up the hill, ignoring the gleaming eyes of her fellow soldiers like hungry wolves in the forest. She would cast her own burning eyes back at them, if only to deter a confrontation.

“I’ll be glad of a little break when we reach the peak,” Zahn spoke loudly to himself, his eyes peering over Mavi’s shoulder and resting on the backs of his companions. The Zealot was trying to start a conversation, but no one was in the mood to talk it seemed. Eryn sighed and tightened her soggy ponytail, feeling water drip from it.

“You and me both, Zahn.” She called over her shoulder, catching his eye. The Zealot made a laughing noise in his chest as he followed, glad that she’d responded to him and eased his self-induced awkward moment.

“I’ll be happy for sunlight!” Kygar spouted suddenly, his voice like a cracking stone, as his foot slid over wet stone with a dull scraping sound. “Rain is no good.”

“I’d like to be out of this rain, as well.” Ebon spoke quietly, his eyes drifting over his surroundings in search of danger. “I think I’ve seen enough to last me.”

“ _You_ , Ebon? I thought you _liked_ the rain!” Zahn hooted loudly, which made Eryn nearly slip and fall. Mavi reached forward and grabbed her shoulder, stabilizing her. She thanked him quickly and looked over at Ebon on her left, who rolled his eyes at Zahn with a growl.

“Let’s play nice, guys.” Eryn laughed at she felt the ground level out and she regained her balance. She smiled playfully at Ebon and patted his shoulder. “Too much rain would make anyone grumpy.”

“I’m not _grumpy_.” Ebon added flatly, but not unkindly. Eryn’s eyes still followed him; she laughed again and the Marshall felt a chuckle rise in his own chest.

The group reached the peak and found that the air wasn’t nearly as heavy with moisture here, nor was the ground a muddy mess. It was nearly stone, save for carpets of moss, and lacked much of the forest’s signature undergrowth. Farther ahead, a collection of lights had amassed where the soldiers had begun to halt and take a head count. They clumped beneath a massive rocky outcropping, where the shadowy darkness led into a cave of unspecified size and depth. A few lights could be seen fading into it, and Eryn assumed that the soldiers attached to the lights had been ordered to check it out. Eryn, with the Sangheili close behind, headed towards the huddle of lights. The medic in Eryn was ready to begin fixing up minor scrapes and bumps one would have gotten from walking blindly through the jungle, but she could see everyone was more concerned with the cave. Suddenly, there was call from up ahead, alerting the soldiers to be ready to keep moving in case the cave wasn’t a suitable place for shelter.

Eryn was hesitant to separate herself from the Sangheili in order to investigate troops for wounds herself, so she sent out a call over the comms that if anyone needed help, they ought to come find her. She got a few responses, but all of them said it would be fine until they found cover and got out of the muck. No use putting a dry bandage on a wet wound in the middle of a rain storm, they argued. The woman insisted regardless, but only two of them made their way over to her for help. Eryn patched them up quickly; one had a nasty cut under his left eye where he’d ran into a branch and the other had stumbled and fallen at one point in the trek and his hand had scraped roughly over a rock. Of course, the whole time those troops were getting fixed up, they eyed the four Sangheili soldiers. The medic noticed this; she decided to alleviate whatever the negative stares were building by starting a conversation with Zahn, who was more than happy to talk with her, regardless of who was listening. By the time the two soldiers had gone, both having received an earful about Sangheili doctors, Captain Ross had given the all clear to set up camp in the cave for a few hours so everyone could get some much-needed rest. _Just don’t get too comfortable_ , he warned.

The shelter materials, mostly waterproof tarps and the necessary stakes, had been passed out and set up into a makeshift camp. Inside the cave tents weren’t really needed, but they set up lean-tos by the entrance to try and keep out some of the rain. Various fires went up around the cave, illuminating and warming their stony shelter. Most of the soldiers began to sit and relax as much as they could in a hostile environment. Groans and sighs could be heard echoing through the cave. Perhaps it was just their luck, but the rain had let up ever so slightly in the hour it took them to get set up; the ground in the cave where they camped was dusty and dry towards the back, with mossy patches towards the mouth that kept water from reaching any farther.

Eryn, outside the larger lean-to she and the Sangheili had pitched, had a fire burning bright and warm. The woman had silently sat by the fire with her back towards it for a long while, warming her ice-cold bones. The Sangheili had sat and watched, not sure whether to be concerned or relieved by her behavior, were soon reassured of their human companion’s status. As soon as she felt up to it, she began to collect a few sturdy sticks and stones in order to hang her clothing on them to dry them. Others around the camp could be seen doing the same thing; humans weren’t very fond of wearing damp, cold clothing, it seemed.

Zahn observed Eryn build the drying rack like a child watches his mother; he took in each movement and step she took, even though he would probably never have to replicate the process. He watched her bind the sticks and prop them up on stones, watched how she moved the whole array as close to the fire as she dared, knowing well enough that her clothing was, no matter how wet, still flammable. Ebon caught Zahn staring their human companion down, much to his own annoyance, and he nudged the Zealot’s shoulder with his fist.

“You watch her like a predator does his prey.” Ebon teased. He knew it was not Zahn’s intent to disturb or harass Eryn, but he also knew that humans were sensitive to prolonged looks in their direction. Zahn blinked at Ebon, pushing the Marshall’s hand away.

“And you don’t?” Zahn countered with a grin. Ebon rolled his eyes and groaned at the younger Sangheili’s cheeky remark.

In the quiet moments that followed, they watched the medic remove much of her outer gear to dry by the now roaring fire. Her emptied medical pack, her thigh holster, her utility belt, her boots and socks, and her jacket. All were strung up by the fire, slowly drying. The woman had her body positioned by the warmth as well, attempting to dry the clothing she couldn’t remove in order to preserve what modesty she wished to maintain. Her gray tank-top would dry quickly; the cargo pants would require a little more time. After an hour of her silence, the Sangheili watched her turn and shift by the fire, watching her rotate the heat over her porcelain skin. When she had turned her back to the fire, one of the Sangheili noticed the massive scar on the inside of her left shoulder, right beneath her collarbone. It was a cluster of lines, crossing and curving over one another like rudimentary calligraphy. The marks were raised and shiny, and slightly darker than the rest of Eryn’s skin.

Mavi leaned in, cocking his armored head in interest. The scar looked not to have been caused by a burn or bullet, but by a blade. Lines were carved into her skin, right over her heart, forming a symbol Mavi had only seen a few other times in the whole of his life. Eryn, the small human woman sitting before him, was decorated with a _Sangheili symbol_. He moved towards her and kneeled in front of her, arousing the attention of the other three, now very drowsy, aliens.

“Where… How did you get this?” He pointed at the scar on her shoulder, the Sangheili word, the symbol. His voice was taught with interest and what seemed like confusion, or maybe irritation. It sounded like the crest of a wave on a rocky cliff; it was a sound both beautiful and terrifying. Eryn was startled by the intensity of his voice and she placed a hand over her shoulder, fingers tracing over the lines that marred her otherwise unmarked skin. It wasn’t unusual for her to be asked about the scar; she’d told the story many times. But now… she didn’t respond, mostly out of the shock of Mavi’s voice and the drowsiness that had seeped into her bones.

“Eryn, how did you get that mark?” Mavi asked again. His voice was softer this time, no longer a hurricane of emotion. Ebon, having noticed the scar near seconds after Mavi had moved, watched Eryn. He watched her hand with too many fingers slide over the scar with a distant look in her eyes.

“This old thing?” She yawned slowly, deeply; she was beyond tired. Mavi’s voice stirred her, however, and she looked at the Ultra, into his light-covered eyes. “I got it a fight.”

Mavi snorted and stared at her. Ebon blinked slowly at the woman’s response. He knew fully what the scar was, what it meant, how one earned it. But Eryn? She was _human_. She wouldn’t know why she had it, nor what it meant. If anything, it must elicit fear or shame or confusion in her. Ebon rose and came to crouch by Eryn and Mavi. He placed a solid hand on Mavi’s shoulder to ask him to back away from the woman. With a groan, Mavi edged away; he was not content with Eryn’s answer.

“It was painful to receive, wasn’t it?” Ebon asked slowly. The woman looked at him, but he could tell she was not seeing him wholly. Her crystalline eyes were sinking into the past, clouded by a dark memory dredged up in the late hours of the night. With Ebon’s quiet and comforting rumble of a voice, Eryn’s eyes cleared and her awareness shifted. She nodded, her hand still tracing her scar.

“Yeah,” She whispered the word, looking at her shoulder. “It hurt quite a bit.” Ebon nodded knowingly and lightly pulled her hand away from her body to expose the scar, wrapping his fingers around her much smaller hand. He touched one finger to the center of the symbol and gazed at Eryn. His golden eyes flared in the light of the fire and Eryn froze, struck by his molten stare.

“Will you tell us how you got it?” He asked in a gentle tone. Eryn opened her mouth as if to speak, but quickly closed it. She sat still and curled her legs up to her chest. The woman wrapped one arm around herself; her other hand, still captured in Ebon’s, tightened in his hold.

“It was a fight, really. I don’t want to burden you guys with some story about a silly scar. It’s not important anyways” She spoke with a light tone, yearning to have her jacket back on her skin, dry and warm and covering her scar. “Besides, we all need to get some rest.”

“On the contrary, Eryn,” Zahn spoke warmly, cheerily, his voice vibrated through the air. “That is a very important mark that you bear!”

Eryn snapped up at this, her eyes wide with surprise. “What do you mean?”

“He means,” Mavi spoke quietly, his voice reverent, “that you bear an ancient mark that many Sangheili strive to earn in their earliest years.”

“It is mark of courage.” Kygar rumbled in the darkness. “It is mark of strength.”

“One you can only get…” Ebon started, his eyes melting into Eryn’s.

“…in a fight?” Eryn guessed. The four Sangheili nodded and, of the eyes she could see, were bright with some emotion she’d never seen before. Ebon shook her hand and Zahn laughed. Kygar had thrummed his hands together and moved closer.

“You must be Sangheili at heart,” Kygar spoke with a gruff, pleased tone as he patted Eryn on her shoulder before sitting closer to the fire, “to have such honor.”

“I don’t understand. Then why do I have it? I’m only a medic!” Eryn sat, confusedly, her eyes bouncing from alien to alien as they addressed her.

“Perhaps for the same reason Ebon does,” Zahn commented from beside Kygar. “He fought off an enemy twice his size to help his brothers, nearly getting himself killed in the process.” The Zealot gestured to the Marshall with a flick of one finger to his shoulder. Eryn’s eyes darted right back to Ebon. “Isn’t that right, Field Marshall T’Raav?”

“T’Raav?” Eryn said it slowly, trying to mimic the exact pronunciation, while smiling. She figured this was most likely Ebon’s surname; the first she’d learned of the four Sangheili sitting around her. Ebon perked up at the sound of his name, said near-perfectly, from the lips of a human being. With a snort, he nudged Eryn.

“Yes, yes. My name is Ebon T’Raav,” He gathered up Eryn’s attention once more. He turned to face Eryn and blinked; his eyes were especially alluring when illuminated by firelight. “And yes, I bear the same mark as you, Eryn.”

When her blues eyes were locked firmly on his golden ones, he moved. With a metallic click, Ebon’s pauldron on his left shoulder came loose. There, marring the dark, leathery skin was a scar nearly identical to Eryn’s. She couldn’t help but stare at the mark, like a copy of her own, on the alien skin. It took all of her strength to not reach out and touch it.

“You should wear your mark with pride, as I do, Eryn.” Ebon stated softly. The Sangheili replaced his armor and lowered his head to meet the woman’s. He clasped her hand in both of his, holding onto her gently. His eyes roamed her scar; he could see the slight variations in their scars. A line here or there was more angular, or longer or shorter in places. His scar had been branded, hers had been carved. _Painful indeed_ , he thought.

“But I… I’m not…” Eryn stuttered. This was not her culture, her people. She had no right to parade around and show off a scar she might not really deserve.

“It is hard enough as Sangheili to earn it…” Kygar spoke softly. His domed head seemed to be looking nowhere and everywhere all at once.

“For you to have it,” Mavi rumbled over the crackling of the fire, sounding both stunned and awed, “practically makes you Sangheili.”

“I wonder who gave it to her?” Zahn asked quickly; His eyes landed on Eryn and then back to Ebon. “Not just anyone can dole out a mark like that…”

The Marshall snorted, thinking. His golden eyes roamed back to the woman, who was as a shocked and amazed as Mavi sounded, if not for the same reasons. Ebon turned to her and caught her eyes. He wondered if she even remembered that much, or if she could even remember any of it at all.

Zahn stepped forward and tapped the woman lightly on her arm. He gave her a fond, playful smile. “We’re just curious as to how you came by it, you know. Or, at least, I am.” He laughed, tossing her sideways look. His voice was just as light-hearted and warm as it had always been when he addressed her. Eryn noted that his attitude was infectious.

“I guess you guys would really want to know, considering…” Eryn bit her lip, unsure of what to say. Yes, she was human. Was it bad that she had the mark? They didn’t seem to act like it, but Eryn felt an odd stirring in her stomach when she caught Ebon’s eyes. He had earned his as a Sangheili… as a human, did she belittle the mark they both carried?

“Considering you’re the first human with the mark?” Mavi piped up. He was very keen on finishing Eryn’s sentences.

“So? Will you tell us?” Zahn asked again. Eryn couldn’t help by smile at how childish and sweet he sounded. Those, now that she really thought about, were words no human would’ve thought to use to ever describe a Sangheili.

“I honestly don’t remember much… I was only twelve years old when it happened and it was all so _terrifying_ that I sort of hid the memory from myself.” She started slowly, unsure of where to begin; her eyes drifted back to Ebon. Her hand was warm in his and she realized she could feel the texture of his skin. It was smooth and rough at the same time, like rugged leather, and was extremely warm.

Zahn made an odd chittering noise, Ebon continued to hold her hands and offer her comfort, but she watched Mavi sit back and sigh. She didn’t know that, for him, he was just realizing now that, like Ebon had rationalized not moments before, Eryn was _human_. She had had no idea, no clue as to the what and why of her mark. And if she had only been twelve at the time of receiving it, it must have been terribly _frightening_. Now he knew, now she knew. She had been so scared she’d repressed it…

“That’s alright,” Zahn grinned, sitting next to Eryn. “As long as you’re comfortable telling it, we’d love to hear it.”

Ebon had also moved back to sit next to Eryn, allowing himself to once more be a source of comfort for her. It seemed that his presence was more than enough, as she removed her arm from around her body and let her legs fall away from her chest. She gazed over the alien faces with a warm expression. How many times had she told this story to a human audience? How many times had she told this story where she was scarred at a young age and spurred to join the military? Looking at the faces of her alien friends, she asked herself: _How many times have I told the story to those whose people had scarred me?_

With a shudder, Eryn started with what she could remember. “I was living on a colony world with my parents…” Her eyes flickered back into the past. She plucked idly at a loose string on her pants. Ebon could feel her unease through the tension in her body, the tightness of her voice. He edged a bit closer to her, but he wasn’t sure if she noticed. In a matter of seconds, having begun the tale to a new audience, she was suddenly and painstakingly aware of everything she said and would have to say.

“We lived towards the outskirts, where I could see all the untouched land around the colony. My parents were farmers, but my mom was also a nurse at the clinic near our home. She was one of the reasons I became a medic in the first place,” Eryn gave a small, fond smile at the thought of her mother, but it subsided as she continued. The woman seemed to fade back into the past, her voice catching in her throat. Ebon continued to hold the woman’s hand in his own, his fingers running idly over her smooth skin. Eryn must have started to slip back into the now, as she had leaned into Ebon’s side. She could feel the heat of his armor, warmed by the fire, as it pressed into her skin.

“One day, when I was home with my parents, these really loud alarms went off. I thought that meant there was a fire,” Eryn blinked and stopped, she reached a gap in her memory. “I don’t know what happened after the alarms… It comes and goes. I do know my mother put me in a dark room and locked the door. I couldn’t get out. I think I fell asleep while I was in there.”

“Your mother locked you up?” Zahn asked, his head cocked in confusion. Kygar nudged the alien and grunted a phrase that sounded like ‘be quiet’. Eryn felt Ebon’s hand curl a little more firmly over her own; she sighed quietly.

“Yeah. At the time I didn’t know why, but now I do. She had put me there to hide me from the cause of the alarms. She was trying to keep me safe from…” Eryn paused and twiddled with the string on her pants. Her stomach flipped over in her body. She was sure the Sangheili were smart enough to figure out who she had been hidden from, so why couldn’t she just say it? She opened her mouth, but…

“From the Covenant,” Mavi filled in the blank spot with a gruff voice. It only made sense. He knew that they all knew where her scar had come from. “We are not a part of those of _fanatics_ ; not anymore.” Mavi assured her with a softer tone. Eryn sighed and blinked slowly.

“Well, they were attacking the settlement… They found me in the end. I think I had called out for help from the room, I’m not exactly sure. All I know is that they found me.” She looked over the group of Sangheili that sat around her. They were so different from the cruel faces she’d seen as a child, from her time serving in the war. These four aliens sitting around her now were perhaps her favorite people on the whole planet, and she’d only known them for a few days. Ebon and Zahn, she noted with a smile, were especially sweet. Even now, Ebon sat near her and offered her what comfort he could, while Zahn kept things in a positive outlook.

“My mother had come into the room to get me after I had called for help; she was covered in dirt and blood and sweat. I remember she looked like she had been crying. It scared me, to see her like that. She had left the door behind her open, that’s how _he_ got in.” Eryn talked slowly, letting her memory come back. Her voice was shaky and her skin was crawling with the memory. Suddenly, as she were no heavier than a doll, Ebon wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her to flush with him. Her back was to his chest; he kept his legs out, as she did, but he kept his arms around her.

“You don’t need to be afraid,” Ebon said gently. “You are here, now. That shadow from your past cannot get you now.”

“And even if he tried, he’d have to get through Ebon, it seems.” Mavi teased with a slight chuckle in his voice. Kygar nodded his head as well when Zahn piped up.

“Well I’m sure he’d have to worry about the rest of us too, you know.” The Zealot spoke from Ebon’s side, his eyes peeking at the human wrapped up in his friend’s protective embrace. Eryn smiled and felt her cheeks flush. With a deep breath and a reassuring squeeze from Ebon, the woman picked up her story.

“It was a Covenant soldier… just one,” She stated, busy with the effort to remember. “He was a Sangheili, but I don’t recall his what he looked like. He carried an energy sword, though.” Ebon made a grunting noise in his throat, but didn’t say anything; his grip tightened slightly around Eryn’s body. Eryn instinctively let her hands rest on his arms, holding him.

“He came into the room and saw us; he said something I couldn’t understand. My mother and I were in plain sight and we couldn’t get out. My first instinct was to run, but he was in the way of the door. My mother had made me stand behind her,” Her memory was much more vivid now, alive the effort to recall as much as she could. “I have no idea what possessed my mother to do it, but she charged at the soldier. She threw herself at him and yelled for me to run. So, I ran. I got really lucky, I guess, because I slipped right by them and made my way to the kitchen. I stopped when I heard my mom scream. Suddenly the whole house went quiet.”

Ebon pulled Eryn closer to himself; he lowered his jaws to rest on Eryn’s and bring her as close to him as he could. The four Sangheili knew what was coming, knew that her tale was coming to its inevitably tragic ending. They remembered the raids on human colonies. Kygar had even led a few. The group had spilled their fair share of the humans’ crimson blood; both soldier and civilian. They were by no means saints, but they doubted that Eryn would ever see them as villains. If she didn’t now, even with such a terrible experience in her childhood, they wondered if she would ever see them in such a light. With the way Ebon had himself attached to Eryn, the other three aliens highly doubted the human would ever turn them away.

“I saw him come out of the room. He had blood on him. I knew in that moment what he had done. I felt so sad and angry and hurt… I remember so many emotions as once that I had cried so loud that the soldier had found me immediately. When he started walking my way, I grabbed a knife from the kitchen and screamed. I ran at him. I tried to stab him, and I don’t know if I did or not, but he knocked me to the ground. I still had the knife,” Eryn was speaking so fluidly the aliens were sure she was currently reliving the memory. Ebon could see her eyes getting shinier as tears started to collect. Her breathing was becoming erratic as her story came to a close.

“I stood up and tried again and again to stab him. I kept missing. He took the knife from me and pushed me down; he stepped on me and held me down. He was talking and I was screaming and crying and then…” Eryn felt tears roll down her cheek and her lunges ached. Ebon lowered his head to be next to hers, his jaws brushing over her cheeks, and he whispered softly to her.

“You don’t need to continue,” Ebon’s arms enfolded Eryn even closer to himself; she had curled her legs up and turned her face away and buried it in Ebon’s chest. The Sangheili knew well enough the sadness that came from losing family, but not to lose a mother or father specifically. Most Sangheili do not know their fathers or mothers well, as they are raised communally, but their brothers and sisters-in-arms were those that they mourned. Ebon felt the woman’s body shudder under his hands as she battled the pain and sadness; his eyes met his brothers’.

“To think a human child attacked a Sangheili warrior,” Mavi started in a quiet whisper, his eyes locked firmly on the human in Ebon’s arms. “and came out of it with a valor mark.”

“She _is_ Sangheili.” Kygar proclaimed from his position against the cave-wall. His domed head dipped against his chest and he looked to be sleeping. Mavi stared at his companion and then back to Ebon and Zahn, who he realized looked just as tired as he felt.

“And even if she isn’t Sangheili, she’s definitely not human.” Zahn added with a grin. He was liking Eryn more and more with every passing hour he spent with her. And to know that she was marked for valor? Well, she just jumped ahead quite a bit in his book. He never thought he’d be so fond of creature so fragile and foreign. The Zealot looked over at Ebon, who was holding said woman, and laughed quietly to himself. While Zahn liked Eryn quite a bit…

Ebon must _really_ like Eryn.


End file.
